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Private nonprofit · New York, New York

Columbia University in the City of New York

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New York, NY · City · Medium (8,973 undergrads)Website Net price calculator

The total cost of attendance at Columbia University in the City of New York was $89,472 for 2024–25, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $21,590, and $4,570 if family income was under $30,000. We haven't verified aid figures for international students here; check the school's aid office.

Admit rate (2024–25)

4%

SAT / ACT middle 50%

1510–1580 · 34–35

Your fit indicator

Reach

Highly selective (admit rate 4%) — a reach for every applicant

Cost of attendance (2024–25)

$89,472

Official · U.S. Dept. of Education (College Scorecard)

Net price (average)

$21,590

Federal-aid recipients; not for international students

Graduation rate

96%

Median earnings, 10 yrs

$102,491

Median debt

$21,500

Your real cost

Published cost → aid by income → what internationals pay

  1. 1

    Published cost of attendance: $89,472 per year (2024-25)

    Tuition & fees
    $69,045
    Housing & food (on campus)
    $16,800
    Books & supplies
    $1,392
    Other expenses
    $2,350

    Total: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2024-25. Breakdown: NCES IPEDS academic-year charges, 2023-24 (first-time, full-time undergrads). Costs usually rise each year.

  2. 2

    U.S. students: average net price by family income

    $0–30,000
    $4,570
    $30,001–48,000
    $2,275
    $48,001–75,000
    $5,866
    $75,001–110,000
    $11,782
    $110,001+
    $50,621

    Average for all aided students: $21,590. Net price = cost minus grants and scholarships (not loans).

    Source: College Scorecard, 2024-25; students who received federal aid. Use the school's net price calculator for your own estimate.

  3. 3

    International students: cost minus the school's own aid to internationals

    We don't have verified data on this school's aid to international students, so we don't estimate it. Plan for the full cost of $89,587 a year and ask the financial aid office whether internationals can get need-based or merit aid.

    International students can't receive U.S. federal aid (Pell, federal loans, work-study). Add health insurance and travel.

How students pay here

Need-based aid

We haven't verified this school's Common Data Set need figures (% of need met, average need-based grant).

Policy: need-blind for U.S. applicants (reported — confirm on the official aid page).

Merit (non-need) aid

No verified merit-aid figures. Federal data below combines need-based and merit grants.

All first-year aid (federal data)

Got any financial aid
56%
Got a grant from the school
51%
Average $61,951 (need + merit)
Got a Pell Grant
22%
Average $5,747
Got a state grant
6%
Average $4,798
Took a federal student loan
6%
Average $5,103

International students

Need-aware for internationals; meets full need of admitted students (official page; Need-aware for internationals; meets 100% of need with no loans; must apply for aid at admission. No merit scholarships.)

Forms & deadlines

  • FAFSA for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (this school takes federal aid). studentaid.gov
  • CSS Profile or the school's own form: check the school's aid page; many private colleges require it, including for internationals. CSS Profile
  • Aid deadlines: see the official aid page. We only list dates we've confirmed.

Sources: NCES IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022-23 (full-time, first-time undergrads; IPEDS doesn't separate need and merit).

Curated policies

International aid: need aware full need (official) · Test policy: optional · Early: Not verified · Regular: Not verified · checked Oct 13, 2026. Official aid page

Living here

New York · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Cost of living 13% above the U.S. average · 2-bedroom median rent $2,030 · transit commute share 43.8%

Est. monthly student budget

$1,838

See the area

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All colleges in New York: cost & aid · Ways to pay

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts institution file (released Jun 10, 2026). Cost of attendance & admissions: 2024–25. Net price, earnings, debt and completion are the most recent cohorts in that release and lag by a few years; net price covers federal-aid recipients (not international students). Fit labels are rough indicators from published ranges, not admission odds. “—” = not reported.