Graduates of Columbia University In The City of New York earn median earnings of $115,519 four years after enrollment, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 99.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $13,645 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 91.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Columbia University In The City of New York #10 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at Columbia University In The City of New York is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 12% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 357 graduates earning median earnings of $188,265 four years after enrollment. The Economics program graduates 327 students and Azimuth ranks it #16 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $137,710. Political Science ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 225 graduates earning median earnings of $100,245, while Research Psychology ranks #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $86,946 and American History (United States) ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $98,079.
Graduates of Columbia University In The City of New York earn median earnings of $115,519 four years after enrollment, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 99.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $13,645 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 91.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Columbia University In The City of New York #10 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at Columbia University In The City of New York is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 12% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 357 graduates earning median earnings of $188,265 four years after enrollment. The Economics program graduates 327 students and Azimuth ranks it #16 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $137,710. Political Science ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 225 graduates earning median earnings of $100,245, while Research Psychology ranks #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $86,946 and American History (United States) ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $98,079.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Columbia University In The City of New York earn median earnings of $115,519 four years after enrollment, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 99.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $13,645 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 91.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Columbia University In The City of New York #10 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at Columbia University In The City of New York is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 12% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 357 graduates earning median earnings of $188,265 four years after enrollment. The Economics program graduates 327 students and Azimuth ranks it #16 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $137,710. Political Science ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 225 graduates earning median earnings of $100,245, while Research Psychology ranks #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $86,946 and American History (United States) ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $98,079.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Columbia University In The City of New York's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of degree output — a concentration that reflects the university's research identity and its strength in analytical, policy-oriented, and quantitative social-science subfields. Engineering represents 12% of graduates and Arts accounts for 5%, rounding out a portfolio that leans heavily toward fields where graduate and professional school pathways shape long-term earnings trajectories. Across 55 programs serving roughly 2,647 students annually, 23 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — and several sit near the top nationally. The strongest national ranks cluster in quantitative and applied fields. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #12 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 357 graduates earning $188,265 — the highest four-year earnings at the institution. Azimuth ranks Operations Research #1 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $167,572, and Azimuth ranks Economics #16 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 327 graduates earning $137,710. Computer Science is the largest program by cohort size at 357 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #12 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $188,265 — combining scale and strong pay in a way that anchors the institution's overall earnings profile. Economics (327 graduates, $137,710) and Political Science (225 graduates, $100,245) round out the largest programs and contribute meaningfully to the university's degree output. Several of Columbia University In The City of New York's dominant programs are grad-school-dependent pathways — particularly in the social sciences, biological sciences, and humanities — where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a significant share of graduates continue to medical, law, or doctoral programs. Fields like Computer Science and Political Science are high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings more closely reflect national labor-market outcomes. The framework provides context for how Columbia University In The City of New York's strongest program families align with sectors experiencing sustained wage growth, and the methodology explains the ranking approach used here.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Columbia University In The City of New York earn median earnings of $115,519 four years after enrollment, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 99.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $13,645 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Columbia University In The City of New York in the 91.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Columbia University In The City of New York #10 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at Columbia University In The City of New York is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 12% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 357 graduates earning median earnings of $188,265 four years after enrollment. The Economics program graduates 327 students and Azimuth ranks it #16 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $137,710. Political Science ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 225 graduates earning median earnings of $100,245, while Research Psychology ranks #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $86,946 and American History (United States) ranks #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $98,079.
