The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York reported $7.51 billion in revenue and $7.21 billion in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $90.06 went to program services, $7.84 to management and general costs and $2.10 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 60.5% of the total. Government grants made up 17.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $6,866,322 (PROFESSOR OF SURGERY). 9,101 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 26% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $7.21BFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $7.51BThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 90.1% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.8% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 27.6% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 17.5% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 60.5% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $6,866,322 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.10% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 9,101 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 34.1 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 20 of 21 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe Trustees of Columbia University in the city of new york is a private, nonsectarian, nonprofit institution of higher education whose activities are concentrated at three locations in new york city and extend around the globe. The university provides instruction through seventeen undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. It operates a variety of research institutes and a library system to support its teaching, learning, and research activities. The university enrolls approximately 35,872 full-time and part-time students
The university, through the Columbia University irving medical center and its medical faculty practice plan, provides direct patient care and other clinical and educational services to hospitals and other health care institutions through contractual agreements for services
The university performs research, training, and other services under grants and contracts with agencies of the federal government and other sponsoring organizations
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROFESSOR OF SURGERY Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $6,796,401 | $0 | $69,921 | $6,866,322 |
| CEO OF IMC Key employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $3,178,812 | $0 | $2,203,741 | $5,382,553 |
| PROFESSOR OF SURGERY Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $3,501,009 | $0 | $104,756 | $3,605,765 |
| Professor of Surgery Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $3,392,921 | $0 | $92,504 | $3,485,425 |
| PROFESSOR OF SURGERY Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $3,199,206 | $0 | $75,716 | $3,274,922 |
| PROFESSOR OF OBSTETRICS Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $3,080,758 | $0 | $98,693 | $3,179,451 |
| PRESIDENT (FORMER) Former, 60.0 hrs/week | $1,842,394 | $0 | $89,432 | $1,931,826 |
| PRESIDENT (THROUGH 8/14/24) Director/trustee, officer, 60.0 hrs/week | $1,462,685 | $0 | $363,406 | $1,826,091 |
9,101 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $17M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b21 · 20 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26Yes
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 541,297
- Volunteers Part I, line 617,484
Private foundation grants it received
568 private foundations reported grants to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York totaling $141M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York spent in FY2025, $90.06 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · revenue $7.48B · programs 82.7% · FY2025
- Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · revenue $7.86B · programs 93.5% · FY2025
- University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · revenue $7.04B · programs 93.4% · FY2025
- President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeCambridge, MA · revenue $8.32B · programs 85.6% · FY2025
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · revenue $6.74B · programs 80.9% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York reported that 90.1% of its $7.21 billion in expenses went to program services, 7.8% to management and general and 2.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $6,866,322, for the role of PROFESSOR OF SURGERY (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York get its money?
Of $7.51 billion in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 27.6% came from contributions and grants (including 17.5% from government grants) and 60.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-5598093 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202631359349301618 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521359349302987 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401369349302495 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321359349304707 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241339349305694 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141379349300639 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-5598093: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.