Does Columbia University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Columbia University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Columbia University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Columbia University?

65% of Columbia University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Columbia University 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Columbia University?

Research Assistant (329) , Teaching Assistant (162) , Graduate Research Assistant (161) , Graduate Student (150) , PhD Student (144) , Postdoctoral Research Scientist (94) , Administrative Assistant (78) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (78) , Postdoctoral Fellow (73) , Associate Research Scientist (70) , Assistant Director (66) , Director (55) , Postdoctoral Researcher (51) , Associate Director (45) , Program Coordinator (44)

What are the pros of working at Columbia University according to real employee reviews?

"Columbia and the Business School are great to work for because of the benefits and the people." ((in 467 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 324 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 123 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 108 reviews)); "The staff is friendly considering it's a large mix of students and senior staffers." ((in 84 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Columbia University according to real employee reviews?

"low pay compared to state schools that pay more to perform the same exact duties." ((in 298 reviews)); "low salary very far from my home not much increase yearly not much chances of growth departments are not well interconnected" ((in 269 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 108 reviews)); "If you get a bad manager, not much can be done." ((in 40 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 39 reviews))

What are employees saying about Columbia University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Columbia University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Columbia University in 2026.

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Columbia University

Columbia University reviews

Compare reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,406 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

51% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Culture & values

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

Columbia University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 5,406 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Columbia University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

1.0

Jul 19, 2020

Terrible administration ruins the potential for outstanding research

Postdoctoral research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Internationally recognised Ivy League University - Collaboration with the Hospital and good labs - In NYC

Cons

- Benefits and salaries are terrible - Administration is the worst. Especially for foreigners. Visas don't get renewed in time even before the pandemic happened. People drop off payroll because they haven't been renewed in time either. - "Subsidized" housing for postdocs is actually incredibly expensive.

1.0

Aug 28, 2019

poor facilities, abusive professors

Phd graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Living in NYC is exciting in many ways.

Cons

The professors are unaccountable to the ideals they are supposed to uphold, commonly committing research fraud and getting away with it due to the overwhelming corruption that spans the professor's self-governance. Furthermore, the facilities for scientific research are poorly managed by the worst bureaucrats that can be found. The problem is compounded by the unreasonably high price of real estate in NYC. Go to any other university for your degree. Any state school with good facilities will outperform this place, its reputation is a fraud.

3.0

Nov 29, 2016

School of International and Public Affairs Union member.

Administrative assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The Union benefits are excellent. If you are looking to transition back to work after family leave, pursue your education, or settle down in a comfy job until retirement I highly recommend. Depending on the your office and supervisor things can be quite comfortable. This is to good place to work if you have specific goals.

Cons

Don't get seduced by the comfort. If you are in the beginning or the middle of your career, keep moving quickly. Do not stay in this type of position or you will get pigeon holed. Even for officers, if your direct manager isn't looking out for you, you will stay in the same place for years. You have to make connections while your there and then keep it moving. Everything is very slow to change and highly siloed.

Viewing 22 - 24 of 5,406 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

UC San Diego

3.6★Compensation & Benefits

Texila American University

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Columbia University

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Part-Time Academic Secretary

Administrative Assistant

Columbia University reviews FAQs

Reviews Columbia University reviews

Columbia University

Columbia University reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Terrible administration ruins the potential for outstanding research

poor facilities, abusive professors

School of International and Public Affairs Union member.

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Columbia University

Columbia University reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Columbia University reviews FAQs

Jobs at Columbia University