The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York

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Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. IT seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. IT expects all areas of the University to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
90¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 17,484 volunteers and 41,297 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $598.1M a year · 9% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
90%
of spending
Looks good: 90% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$39.8M
to officers and key staff · 0.6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 1% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $16.27B in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
45
named funders · $4.8M
Looks good: 45 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$5.5B
21% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 21% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
20
of 21 voting members
Looks good: 20 of 21 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$7.5B
+3% vs prior year
Spent
$7.2B
To programs
90%
Net assets
$20.5B
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$7.5B
FY2025▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$5.9B
FY2021$6.6B
FY2022$7.1B
FY2023$6.7B
FY2024$7.3B
FY2025$7.5B
Expenses
$7.2B
FY2025▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$5.5B
FY2021$5.6B
FY2022$6.0B
FY2023$6.4B
FY2024$6.8B
FY2025$7.2B
Net assets
$20.5B
FY2025▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$16.3B
FY2021$19.6B
FY2022$18.4B
FY2023$18.7B
FY2024$19.8B
FY2025$20.5B

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1974.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

90 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 90% · $6.5B Management & general 8% · $565.6M Fundraising 2% · $151.6M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

48 people listed on the 990; $39.8M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Professor of Surgery
$6,796,401Pt VII · Sec A
Professor of Surgery
$3,501,009Pt VII · Sec A
Professor of Surgery
$3,392,921Pt VII · Sec A
Professor of Surgery
$3,199,206Pt VII · Sec A
CEO of Imc
$3,178,812Pt VII · Sec A
Professor of Obstetrics
$3,080,758Pt VII · Sec A
President (former)
$1,842,394Pt VII · Sec A
Interim President/EVP Health
$1,653,958Pt VII · Sec A

Lawrence Gerald Lenke’s $6.8M as Professor of Surgery is at the 98th percentile of top reported officer pay among 674 $100M+ education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Lawrence Gerald Lenke$6,796,401$7,408,169$5,488,624$6,468,953$7,028,626$6,854,636
Lee C Bollinger$1,842,394$3,176,262$4,449,336$3,375,804$1,926,862$2,254,198
David N Silvers—$3,186,576$3,299,692$3,936,699$3,774,311$4,370,686
Kiehyun Daniel Riew————$3,381,265$4,163,116
Ronald Arthur Lehman JR$3,501,009$3,874,661$3,486,493$3,486,735$3,486,826$3,484,664
Peter Holland——$763,422$2,659,520$2,950,950$3,790,013
Lee Goldman$1,020,503$1,025,075$1,032,244$1,240,685$1,743,294$3,624,012
Emile Bacha$3,392,921$3,281,941$3,185,826$2,749,171——

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II3 listed

Programs and updates

Conducts research and provides education, training, and services under grants and contracts.

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3 programs · $5.1B · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The 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.

$2.5Bprogram expense
02

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.

$1.6Bprogram expense
03

The university performs research, training, and other services under grants and contracts with agencies of the federal government and other sponsoring organizations.

$988.7Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 45 funders →
Grants paid · 2,408 grants · $5.0B · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$754,958,892
The George Washington UniversityVA · FY2024$10,983,372
Weill Medical CollegeFY2024$6,911,928
New York UniversityNY · FY2024$4,789,021
University of Alabama at BirminghamFY2024$4,356,700
Johns Hopkins UniversityMD · FY2024$3,767,132
Medical University of So CarolinaSC · FY2024$3,572,368
New York Genome Center INCNY · FY2024$3,175,195
Cornell UniversityNY · FY2024$3,037,493
Knight First Amendment Institute at ColumbiaNY · FY2024$2,741,621
Rutgers the State UniversityNJ · FY2024$2,637,729
University of WashingtonFY2024$2,600,284
See all 2,408 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$7.5B
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4.5B
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1B
Investment incomeLn 3$708.6M
Money outPt IX
$7.2B
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.5B
Managementcol C$565.6M
Fundraisingcol D$151.6M
Owns and owesPt X
$20.5B
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.3B
Total assetsLn 16$26.0B
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.5B
PeoplePt VI, VII
48
listed · VII A
PaidVII A24
Voting boardVI 1a21
IndependentVI 1b20
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1B
Government grantsLn 1e$1.31B
Noncash giftsLn 1g$54.3M
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$5.6M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4.5B
Investment incomeLn 3$708.6M
Other incomeLn 4–11$183.5M
Gains on assetsLn 7$561.3M
Total revenueLn 12$7.5B
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$0
SavingsLn 2$1.30B
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.3B
InvestmentsLn 11–13$16.27B
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6.11B
Other assetsLn 15$643.5M
Total assetsLn 16$26.0B
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.5B
Net assetsLn 32$20.5B
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 541,297
VolunteersI 617,484
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.23B$1.30B
InvestmentsLn 11–13$15.44B$16.27B
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6.08B$6.11B
Total assetsLn 16$24.80B$26.03B
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.04B$5.54B
Net assetsLn 32$19.76B$20.49B
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$208.7M$208.7M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$755.0M$755.0M
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$32.4M$32.4M
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$17.3M$876K$16.4M
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$8.8M$7.1M$1.7M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$3.52B$3.26B$178.8M$75.5M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$255.8M$237.3M$13.0M$5.5M
Other employee benefitsLn 9$422.4M$327.4M$69.5M$25.6M
Payroll taxesLn 10$188.7M$175.1M$9.6M$4.1M
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$93.6M$93.6M
Accounting feesLn 11c$2.3M$2.3M
Lobbying feesLn 11d$813K$813K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$782K$782K
Investment management feesLn 11f$4.0M$4.0M
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$349.5M$288.0M$47.8M$13.7M
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9.2M$7.8M$276K$1.2M
Office expensesLn 13$284.7M$268.1M$12.1M$4.5M
Information technologyLn 14$49.8M$27.1M$18.5M$4.2M
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$312.2M$293.6M$16.4M$2.3M
TravelLn 17$77.7M$69.9M$6.0M$1.7M
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$83.8M$71.4M$5.3M$7.1M
InterestLn 20$79.4M$73.5M$5.1M$762K
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$321.7M$297.8M$20.8M$3.1M
InsuranceLn 23$67.2M$39.6M$27.5M
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$55.5M$49.2M$5.9M$412K
All other expensesLn 24e$14.6M$3.1M$10.1M$1.3M
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.21B$6.49B$565.6M$151.6M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $7.5B$7.2B$301.2M$20.5B 990 PDF
FY2024 $7.3B$6.8B$468.1M$19.8B 990 PDF
FY2023 $6.7B$6.4B$218.5M$18.7B 990 PDF
FY2022 $7.1B$6.0B$1.1B$18.4B 990 PDF
FY2021 $6.6B$5.6B$1.0B$19.6B 990 PDF
FY2020 $5.9B$5.5B$410.2M$16.3B 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $7,512,150,787 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,215,638,698$2,076,322,922
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $4,343,856,874$4,543,721,891
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $619,739,953$708,585,025
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $134,857,008$183,520,949
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $7,314,092,533$7,512,150,787
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $927,331,811$996,042,617
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $4,173,727,648$4,408,194,365
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $622,712$782,477
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,744,348,988$1,805,894,862
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $6,846,031,159$7,210,914,321
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $468,061,374$301,236,466
Part VI · Governance 20 of 21 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body21
VI-1b Independent voting members20
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $7,512,150,787 across 13 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$5,620,479
VIII-1e Government grants$1,313,663,200
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$757,039,243
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$54,259,988
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,076,322,922
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $4,536,345,017 · Unrelated business $7,376,874$4,543,721,891
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $147,244,315$147,244,315
VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $18,866,891$18,866,891
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $32,661,925$32,661,925
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $561,340,710$561,340,710
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$293,919−$293,919
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Unrelated business $30,632,783 · Excluded from tax $101,653,269$132,286,052
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $4,536,345,017 · Unrelated business $38,009,657 · Excluded from tax $861,473,191$7,512,150,787
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,210,914,321 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $208,725,051$208,725,051
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $754,958,892$754,958,892
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $32,358,674$32,358,674
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $875,829 · Management $16,388,502$17,264,331
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $7,067,345 · Management $1,706,808$8,774,153
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $3,260,963,647 · Management $178,780,856 · Fundraising $75,464,207$3,515,208,710
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $237,292,297 · Management $13,009,443 · Fundraising $5,491,345$255,793,085
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $327,372,985 · Management $69,488,957 · Fundraising $25,563,366$422,425,308
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $175,078,561 · Management $9,598,603 · Fundraising $4,051,614$188,728,778
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $93,641,448$93,641,448
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,334,741$2,334,741
IX-11d Lobbying feesManagement $813,000$813,000
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $782,477$782,477
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $3,950,914$3,950,914
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $287,981,670 · Management $47,768,839 · Fundraising $13,705,479$349,455,988
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $7,771,158 · Management $276,162 · Fundraising $1,151,922$9,199,242
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $268,114,583 · Management $12,066,983 · Fundraising $4,497,113$284,678,679
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $27,056,817 · Management $18,529,199 · Fundraising $4,184,941$49,770,957
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $293,562,892 · Management $16,353,580 · Fundraising $2,284,421$312,200,893
IX-17 TravelPrograms $69,904,488 · Management $6,047,996 · Fundraising $1,717,367$77,669,851
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $71,407,095 · Management $5,330,636 · Fundraising $7,070,463$83,808,194
IX-20 InterestPrograms $73,473,814 · Management $5,126,818 · Fundraising $761,881$79,362,513
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $297,848,158 · Management $20,783,097 · Fundraising $3,088,509$321,719,764
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $39,629,430 · Management $27,545,226$67,174,656
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $49,171,406 · Management $5,911,833 · Fundraising $411,939$55,495,178
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,136,349 · Management $10,147,710 · Fundraising $1,334,785$14,618,844
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,493,751,141 · Management $565,601,351 · Fundraising $151,561,829$7,210,914,321
Part X · Balance sheet $26,028,368,945 assets, 24 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $77,307,573; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $0$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $1,229,552,082$1,302,660,061
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $678,000,151$909,762,780
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $575,889,281$635,200,375
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $6,007,099$6,036,532
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $73,662,285$71,757,708
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $6,080,041,388$6,112,569,926
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,305,749,409$1,673,627,807
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $14,136,407,775$14,595,943,423
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $633,243,288$643,502,760
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $24,801,091,365$26,028,368,945
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $504,965,612$521,465,020
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $369,764,838$375,372,011
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $1,719,813,420$1,932,935,077
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $529,750,747$853,834,567
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $1,913,379,924$1,857,309,855
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,037,674,541$5,540,916,530
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $8,512,625,083$8,303,169,657
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $11,250,791,741$12,184,282,758
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $19,763,416,824$20,487,452,415
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $24,801,091,365$26,028,368,945
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $20,487,452,415 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$7,512,150,787
XI-2 Total expenses$7,210,914,321
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$301,236,466
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$19,763,416,824
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$947,049,733
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$524,250,608
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$20,487,452,415

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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