Columbia Tuition & Cost · 2026–27
Tuition & fees at Columbia University include undergraduate tuition ($72,800) and fees ($4,160). Estimated first-year cost is Columbia's student budget for a first-year undergraduate living on campus — tuition and fees plus housing, food, books and supplies, personal expenses, and local transportation. These are Columbia's current published 2026–27 figures. Health insurance is billed separately unless waived through existing coverage.
But that's not necessarily what your family will pay.
Financial aid changes the price dramatically.
Approximately 51% of Columbia undergraduates receive Columbia grant aid — provided as scholarships, not loans. Two thresholds from Columbia's own current published aid policy:
Families earning less than this per year, with typical assets, attend Columbia tuition-free.
Families earning less than this per year, with typical assets, have no expected parent contribution — aid covers the full cost of attendance.
Source: Columbia Financial Aid & Educational Financing — Facts and Figures. Columbia is need-blind for U.S. citizens, eligible noncitizens, refugees, and DACA recipients. Columbia awards more than $225 million annually in undergraduate scholarships and grants, and the average Columbia grant is $70,797. Incoming first-year students from low-income families receive an additional $2,000 start-up grant.
But those policies still don't tell you what Columbia will cost your family.
So what will Columbia cost your family?
Published prices don't answer that. Your number depends on the aid you receive, what your family can contribute, and how much is left to cover.
And if you need to borrow some of it?
The real cost of college isn't just the four years. It's what that borrowing could mean every month for the next 20 years.
See My Columbia Estimate→Two minutes. Free. No account needed.
About these numbers
Published tuition and estimated first-year cost of attendance shown at the top of this page are Columbia University's 2026–27 published figures, as posted by Columbia Financial Aid & Educational Financing. Tuition is $72,800 and fees are $4,160, for a combined $76,960 in direct tuition and fees. The estimated first-year cost of $99,774 is Columbia's total student budget for a first-year undergraduate living on campus, adding food ($7,128), housing ($12,522), books and supplies ($1,320), personal expenses ($1,844), and local transportation. Travel to and from campus is estimated separately and varies by home region. Continuing on-campus students have a slightly higher cost of attendance ($100,884) because non-first-year residences typically include additional amenities. Health insurance is billed separately at $2,218 for fall and $3,605 for spring, or $5,823 combined, and can be waived if the student is covered by an existing plan.
The financial aid policy statements shown in the section above are Columbia's own current published aid policy, as posted on Columbia Financial Aid & Educational Financing's Facts and Figures page. "Typical assets" means Columbia's aid formulas assume the family's assets are within the range typical for that income; families with atypical assets — such as substantial investment holdings or business ownership — may receive different aid packages. Columbia is need-blind for U.S. citizens, eligible noncitizens, refugees, and DACA recipients, meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with grant and scholarship aid rather than loans, and does not award merit, athletic, or talent-based institutional aid. Columbia awards more than $225 million annually in undergraduate scholarships and grants; approximately 51% of Columbia College and Columbia Engineering undergraduates receive Columbia grants averaging $70,797, and 24% receive the Pell Grant. Incoming first-year students from low-income families receive an additional $2,000 start-up grant. The median income of families receiving Columbia grants is roughly $96,000, and many families with incomes as high as $250,000 may still qualify for some aid. Loans are available to families who choose to borrow but are not included in the initial Columbia aid package. Actual family costs vary based on the specific aid Columbia offers and each family's specific financial situation.
The CollegeClearly estimator translates your family's specific cost into a standardized 20-year monthly financial commitment using CollegeClearly's own repayment model, applied identically to every school we cover so families can compare on the same basis. It is a comparison framework, not a specific loan product.
Figures are for informational purposes only and are not financial advice. Verify final costs with Columbia Financial Aid & Educational Financing and your family's specific aid letter.