By the Numbers
Providing Middle-Income Jobs
Columbia University is one of the top ten largest nongovernmental employers in New York State.
In addition to 4,000 faculty members, Columbia employs more than 16,600 people full-time; two-thirds live in New York City and nearly half are people of color.
The University paid nearly $1.2 billion in wages and salaries to New York City residents in 2016.
Two-thirds of the jobs at Columbia are middle-income, non-faculty jobs for New Yorkers.
Over the past five years, the Manhattanville Campus expansion generated an average of more than 1,500 local construction jobs per year.
Columbia will directly employ an estimated 2,500 people over the next ten years on its new Manhattanville Campus. More will be employed in ongoing construction and as employees of commercial spaces.
When the new campus is fully built out in 2034, the University will directly employ an estimated 6,400 people earning $600 million.
Driving New York City’s Innovation Economy
Columbia's funded research exceeded $737 million in 2016.
More than 140,000 Columbia alumni — of 326,000 globally — live and work in the New York tri-state region.
More than 145 new companies built around Columbia technology.
More than 3,300 inventions have emerged from the University’s research labs over the past decade.
More than 750 U.S. patents have been awarded to Columbia.
More than 700 licenses and options have been granted to industry or startups based on Columbia technology.
The 5,100 square foot Columbia Startup Lab co-working space is currently home to more than 70 entrepreneurs.
Investing in our Local Community
Columbia is committed to providing meaningful economic opportunity in West Harlem.
$6.3 Billion in New Campus Construction Provides Local Jobs and Economic Opportunity
Columbia’s new $6.3 billion Manhattanville Campus in West Harlem provides local jobs, economic opportunity, open public spaces and public programming.
$578 Million Paid to Minority-, Women-, and Locally-owned Businesses
Over the past 5 years Columbia has paid minority-, women-, and locally-owned (MWL) businesses more than $578 million for construction projects on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses. In Manhattanville alone that’s 34% of Columbia’s overall construction spend and 50% of all workforce hours.
$150 Million in New Benefits and Amenities
As part of its Manhattanville campus development, Columbia has joined with the West Harlem Development Corporation and Empire State Development in agreements that commit $150 million in new benefits and amenities to the local West Harlem community.
Expert Support for Harlem Small Businesses
More than 1,800 local, small businesses have created or saved nearly 1,500 jobs – worth more than $20 million to the economy — through the Columbia University-Harlem Small Business Development Center partnership at Columbia Business School.
Meet Some of Columbia's People
Read full stories on the men and women who make the University thrive.
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Slide 1: Annette Lopes, assistant vice president of Facilities and Operations Human Resources, has been with Columbia for 25 years.
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Slide 2: Aneudy Fernandez, Public Safety officer, grew up in Washington Heights and has served the Columbia community for 5 years.
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Slide 3: Troy Parker, resident manager in Facilities and Operations has worked at Columbia for 30 years.
