10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$410,110at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · 76 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 71 · Federal debt reported for 23
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$410,110 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
3.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+154%Estimated return after 10 years
$112,647Observed earnings · year 5
$124,118Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $102,528 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $18,802 housing and food allowance plus $2,552 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$496,470
$20,000Annual price+$416,470
$22,000Current college-wide context+$408,470
$40,000Annual price+$336,470
$60,000Annual price+$256,470
$80,000Annual price+$176,470
$100,000Annual price+$96,470
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students study without distance-education courses.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
122 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in New York run 8% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$21,590Average net price / year
$89,472Cost of attendance
$21,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$228/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$112,647Median earnings · year 5 after completion
96.1%Completion rate
4.0%Admission rate
1,553Average SAT score
35ACT midpoint
8,973Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Columbia University in the City of New York
What does Columbia University in the City of New York cost?
Columbia University in the City of New York reports an average annual net price of $21,590 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Columbia University in the City of New York graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $112,647 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Columbia University in the City of New York graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Columbia University in the City of New York worth the same?
No. The current release contains 76 field-and-degree records for Columbia University in the City of New York; 71 report year-4 earnings and 23 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
39,018Students enrolled at any point
9,951Undergraduate students
29,067Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
89% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
379 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
66% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$94,155Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$101,552Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$114,640Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income68%
Middle income79%
Higher income85%
Undergraduate student composition
White29%
Black8%
Hispanic15%
Asian19%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$75,228Year 1
$115,519Year 4
$112,647Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies · Graduate/Professional Certificate$312,3302Law · First Professional Degree$308,9433Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$251,7084Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Graduate/Professional Certificate$220,1515Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$194,3656Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$188,2657Management Information Systems and Services · Master's Degree$184,3848Dentistry · First Professional Degree$182,326Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1LawFirst Professional Degree · $308,943 reported+187%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesGraduate/Professional Certificate · $312,330 reported+172%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $251,708 reported+143%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4HistoryBachelor's Degree · $98,079 reported+94%vs same-degree national median$22,000federal debt5SociologyBachelor's Degree · $101,536 reported+93%vs same-degree national median$31,000federal debt6Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · $99,679 reported+88%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in NY
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Albany, NY
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Annual net price
- $29,882
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $115,118
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +134%
Cornell University
- Annual net price
- $28,690
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $104,057
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +100%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Annual net price
- $36,228
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $102,764
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +78%
Molloy University
- Annual net price
- $24,347
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $89,292
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +60%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 76 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $312,330 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $308,943 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $251,708 | Not available | 23 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $220,151 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $194,365 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $188,265 | $20,397 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Master's Degree | $184,384 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $182,326 | Not available | Not reported |
| Statistics | Master's Degree | $167,848 | Not available | 7 |
| Operations Research | Bachelor's Degree | $167,572 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Master's Degree | $166,264 | Not available | 53 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $164,885 | Not available | 148 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $152,001 | Not available | 19 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $150,951 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate Development | Master's Degree | $144,863 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $144,395 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $143,332 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $142,412 | Not available | 65 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $137,970 | Not available | 9 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $137,710 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | Master's Degree | $123,641 | Not available | 3 |
| Construction Management | Master's Degree | $120,469 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Master's Degree | $120,003 | Not available | 10 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $117,252 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $116,859 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $115,874 | Not available | 0 |
| Chemical Engineering | Master's Degree | $114,037 | Not available | 33 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $111,924 | Not available | 10 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $111,491 | $16,960 | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Master's Degree | $108,698 | Not available | 101 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $108,246 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $107,574 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Master's Degree | $107,139 | Not available | 2 |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $106,442 | Not available | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $102,199 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $101,536 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $100,245 | $22,943 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $99,797 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $99,679 | Not available | 64 |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $98,728 | Not available | 242 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Columbia University in the City of New York program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.