Financial Aid

What matters most to us is your ability to thrive at Columbia, not your ability to pay for it. We are committed to making Columbia’s opportunities accessible for all our students. If cost is a concern for your family, we encourage you to apply for financial aid. Columbia is committed to covering 100% of the demonstrated financial need of all students admitted as first-years or transfer students.

With an average grant award of over $62,000 and over $177 million in grant aid awarded this past year, Columbia has one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country and can often end up being a more affordable choice than a public institution.

Financial aid packages consist of work study, as well as grants, which are need-based scholarships that do not have to be paid back. There are no loans included in your financial aid package, and you can graduate debt-free.
If your family’s annual income is $60,000 a year or less, your parents are not expected to contribute to the cost of attendance. Almost 40 percent of financial aid recipients have a parent contribution under $5,000.

We are need-blind for US citizens, eligible non-citizens and undocumented students, which means you are considered for admission without regard for your ability to pay for your education. Foreign citizens applying for aid are reviewed in a more need-aware process, but many of our foreign citizens receive significant financial aid.

The Work Exemption Program offers students a grant to support their pursuit of unpaid or low-paid internships, research projects and community outreach
There are hundreds of work opportunities available on campus—you could be a research assistant, assist with web development for the university, support an athletics team on game day and much more!

If you choose to study abroad, your financial aid travels with you wherever you go, so a semester in Tokyo, London, or Rio costs the same as a semester in New York City.