Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, New York · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $21,590What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 4%
- Graduation rate
- 96%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 8,973
- In-state tuition
- $71,845Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $71,845
- SAT midpoint
- 1,520
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $102,491Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$21,5903/5
Better than 58% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
96%5/5
Better than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$102,4915/5
Better than 97% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,5004/5
Better than 74% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$89,472
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$21,590
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 96% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 98% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $102,491 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $118,636 | 391 |
| Operations Research | $110,457 | 50 |
| Computer Engineering | $102,083 | 28 |
| Applied Mathematics | $91,559 | 60 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $84,019 | 31 |
| Economics | $83,135 | 360 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $72,036 | 75 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $62,895 | 54 |
| Political Science and Government | $61,077 | 232 |
| Sociology | $58,541 | 70 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $55,206 | 36 |
| Chemical Engineering | $55,154 | 20 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $54,327 | 26 |
| Sustainability Studies | $53,957 | 59 |
| History | $53,828 | 152 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $53,156 | 166 |
| Philosophy | $52,668 | 75 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $51,435 | 41 |
| Area Studies | $41,479 | 64 |
| Biology, General | $40,935 | 57 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $36,244 | 33 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $35,838 | 87 |
| Social Sciences, Other | $34,845 | 37 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $34,658 | 20 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $33,893 | 89 |
| Music | $32,924 | 16 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Not reported | 69 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 58 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | 53 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 45 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 29 |
| Civil Engineering | Not reported | 27 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | Not reported | 26 |
| Physics | Not reported | 26 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | 22 |
| Architecture | Not reported | 17 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Not reported | 15 |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 15 |
| Information Science/Studies | Not reported | 13 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 12 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 12 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 11 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Not reported | 9 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 9 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 9 |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | 9 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | Not reported | 8 |
| Materials Sciences | Not reported | 7 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Data Science | Not reported | 6 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 6 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Not reported | 6 |
| Industrial Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | 5 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| Cognitive Science | Not reported | 2 |
| Dance | Not reported | 2 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | Not reported |
| Climate Science | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Mechanics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Not reported | Not reported |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Physical Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Not reported | Not reported |
All 67 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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