Is Columbia University a good company to work for?

Columbia University has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 6,176 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 65% of employees would recommend working at Columbia University to a friend and 51% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Columbia University have been left by employees working as Research Intern , Data Analyst and Undergraduate Research Assistant .

Does Columbia University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Columbia University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 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 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Columbia University?

Research Assistant (330) , Teaching Assistant (163) , Graduate Research Assistant (162) , Graduate Student (150) , PhD Student (145) , Postdoctoral Research Scientist (95) , Administrative Assistant (79) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (78) , Postdoctoral Fellow (74) , Associate Research Scientist (72) , Assistant Director (66) , Director (56) , Postdoctoral Researcher (55) , Associate Director (45) , Researcher (45)

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 328 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 113 reviews)); "Good work environment for the most part" ((in 90 reviews))

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

"The pay can be low and slow" ((in 302 reviews)); "Low salary depending on the department and there is no way to know until you get the offer." ((in 274 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 105 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 40 reviews)); "If you get a bad manager, not much can be done." ((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.

What are the top reviewed Columbia University locations?

New York , Morningside Heights , Brooklyn , Palisades , Washington Heights , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Chicago , New City , Washington , San Diego , Seattle , Manhattanville , Fort Lee , Manhasset , New York Mills , Columbus , Columbia , Jacksonville , Tampa , East Orange , Edison , Fair Lawn , Maplewood , New Brunswick , Newark , Paterson , Tenafly , Princeton , Orange Beach

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Columbia University

Columbia University reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,432 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

3.6

Culture & values

3.6

Career opportunities

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

Columbia University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 5,432 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 Education 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 3, 2023

Red Flags

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are okay, take advantage of free course credits!!

Cons

Hit an miss, there are some terrible managers in this organization and toxic work environments are often left unchecked. Please vet who you’ll be working for and what they’ve promised you before accepting anything!!! This place can be great and it can be absolutely horrible. Just depends who you work for. That these I consistencies exist is a big red flag on HR and the Ombuds office. In short, CU as a workplace is nothing like CU as a university presents itself. I came in a student, bamboozled by the high standards, only to be crushed by the horrendous conditions “behind the curtain.” If you expect Ivy-league standards, please expect to be sorely disappointed!

2.0

May 3, 2023

Great resume boost, but terribly toxic work environment

Senior admissions officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great pay compared to other admissions jobs and as well as what doors can open for you with having it on your resume. If you last 4 years you can get a masters there.

Cons

No grace given and very easy to get on someone’s bad list. Anxiety driven work. Everything is treated as if it is the end of the world. Be very careful who you confide in and whose around when you criticize. Incredibly awful work-life balance.

2.0

Mar 20, 2023

Pay attention to the red flags

Systems administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great people in general, an amazing University, and some of the most state of the art research being done in academia.

Cons

Co-workers who are uninformed, don't listen, or take informed advice about getting tasks accomplished. A strong desire for the heads of Dept. to "get ahead" versus working with their Department cohorts. Absent leadership that "check in" just for the sake of checking a box with zero follow through. An extremely slow on boarding process A network of individuals who don't communicate their expectations or desires inline with what professional tools are made available to work with. An IT department who continually fail to work with other departments. In essence if it doesn't feel right, abort mission, stay away, and avoid at all costs...even if it looks like a "good fit" at first.

Viewing 16 - 18 of 5,432 Reviews

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Red Flags

Great resume boost, but terribly toxic work environment

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