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 495 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 335 reviews)); "Great colleagues and talent employed" ((in 152 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 117 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 110 reviews))

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

"The pay can be low and slow" ((in 291 reviews)); "Salaries in the teaching and research tracks are low compared to private industry; many positions depend on grant funding." ((in 268 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 108 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 38 reviews)); "If you get a bad manager, not much can be done." ((in 36 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.

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Columbia University

Columbia University reviews

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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

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

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Reviews by job title

5K reviews

3.0

Jul 10, 2016

Mixed Experience

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Many brilliant and accomplished employees at CUMC involved in cutting edge medicine and science. Benefits and opportunities for professional development were good and many programs seemed very well funded.

Cons

My main concern with CUMC involved the culture and atmosphere. Work environment became quite toxic, and in my opinion, unprofessional behavior from a few bad apples was not appropriately addressed or curtailed by management. Many talented people left as a result. This may not be universal, but was a major issue in my department/division.

4.0

Jun 16, 2016

Columbia University has good benefits

Director of academic administration and finance

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits and pension plan, nice to have gym and library on campus. Tuition Exemption, campus is pleasant. Working with students.

Cons

The bureaucracy has become cumbersome, most jobs involve being on a computer all day long every day, salaries are non-profit and the best people working at Columbia are tending to leave now. Working with professors can be difficult.

4.0

Feb 7, 2016

Program Director

Program director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Columbia University is a leading university in New York City, they offer good child care, and education benefits for faculty and officers with children.

Cons

Administrative management leaves something to be desired. An overall lack of strategic thinking permeates the institution, though there are plenty of great departments, centers, etc which are better.

Viewing 25 - 27 of 5,406 Reviews

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Mixed Experience

Columbia University has good benefits

Program Director

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