Tuition, Cost & Aid

Everyone always talks about how expensive living in New York City is, but in reality, it doesn't have to be! Columbia is great in the sense that it allows for students to take full advantage of all the cultural opportunities available, whether it comes in the form of free tickets to the best art museums in the world, access to amazing concerts, and more. I was lucky enough to receive a free ticket to see the NYC Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. Not many people can say they had that chance! While Columbia is expensive in regards to tuition and the expenses that come with living in NY, all the opportunities that Columbia provides definitely make up for it!

Columbia is more expensive than comparable institutions, because Manhattan is more expensive than the cities where comparable institutions are located. However, financial aid is very good. Many people say that Columbia turned out to be their cheapest option after financial aid. But the sticker price is higher, and all financial aid is need based.

That is the buck. The bang cannot be overstated.

Like other reviewers have said, the cost of college is generally obscene. And living New York will always be expensive. But Columbia has many options for financial aid, and if you're going to invest in a college education, you may as well do it at one of the top universities in the world.

Columbia certainly has a lot of bang, and in terms of the buck, my experience is that its financial aid has mostly been generous, especially since the Ivy Leagues instituted their expanded financial aid policies. In addition, should you get into other comparable schools that give you better financial aid offers, Columbia will often match them. I certainly have a number of friends for whom attending Columbia would have been impossible, were it not for some generous financial aid packages. However, living in New York City is extremely expensive, and even though there are quite a few opportunities for fairly well-paying internships and jobs on and off campus, simple living expenses can certainly build up.

New York City, especially Manhattan, is known for being very expensive, but the benefits of being a Columbia student can be found at the TIC (Ticket and Information Center) and their website at artsinitiative.columbia.edu, where students can access discounts to museums, Broadway shows, and other attractions in the city.

I think that since Columbia offers great financial aid, especially with the new donation to financial aid, it is economically efficient and you get a good bang for the buck. Most Ivies are a good bang for the buck though since they generally are more generous than schools slightly lower in rankings and are good schools.

Columbia does give financial aid but it's need based, so how much you get depends on your family income and situation. But you do get a really good deal, Columbia provides incredible opportunities, an amazing education, and it's in NYC, so it allows you access to all the wonderful things in NYC.

The education is so good you WILL learn something and to get a diploma from here is priceless. They offer so many opportunities like study abroad and you will be on the top of most employers lists simply because you graduated from an Ivy league school.

Columbia's pricey, there's no doubting it; at nearly 60k a year, it’d be fallacious to say that it isn’t. And, sometimes, as a result of the confusing grant packages, this might leave you in some awkward financial situations scrounging up money. Even given that, though, it's really an amazing institution to be for the sake of knowledge, genuinely interesting people, and a fantastic urban setting. People grow at college, it’s inevitable, but you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll grow as an individual here; not simply intellectually (though this, too, of course!), but pragmatically as well. It’s what the city teaches you.