Columbia Housing Costs
What are the Columbia University in the City of New York Living Expenses?
There are more expenses related to going to college besides tuition fees. Learn how much you will end up spending to attend Columbia University in the City of New York .
On this page you will find:
- Living Expenses Outline
- Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
- Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
- Housing Costs Comparison
- References
Columbia Housing and Meal Plan Costs Columbia University in the City of New York offers the majority of its courses online. If you are an online student, your cost of living will likely stay the same. Consider this when budgeting for your college education.
Housing and dining plans are priced out separately at Columbia. The standard student spent $9,450 for housing and $6,000 for dining in 2021.
The next table outlines expected expenses at Columbia University in the City of New York both for living on campus or off campus, dining and additional charges.
Expense | On Campus | Off Campus |
---|---|---|
Room and Board | $15,450 | $20,565 |
— Housing | $9,450 | |
— Meals | $6,000 | |
Other Living Expenses | $2,262 | $5,445 |
Books and Supplies | $1,342 | $1,342 |
Total | $19,054 | $27,352 |
Planning on Spending Four Years On Campus? Forecasted Cost is $82,364
Housing and meal plans at Columbia have changed around 4.5% for each of the past five years, compared to a nationwide average change of 2.4%. Incoming first year students in 2022 can expect to spend approximately $19,649 for room, board and other costs based on current movements. Those students might wind up having to pay roughly $20,263 for their 2nd year, and $21,553 for their 4th year.
Total room and board costs over the course of four years would be around $82,364; for just two years it will be about $39,913.

* estimated
How to Finance Your Columbia Education?
More Details on Campus Living Arrangements
Are you wondering whether you may be required to live on campus? If you are a first-time full-time student, some schools may require it. See the table below to find out whether Columbia does or not, as well as the on-campus housing capacity.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Are Freshmen Required to Live on Campus? | No |
On-Campus Housing Capacity | 13,071 |
Above Average Campus Living Expenses
Students at Columbia spend $19,054 to live on campus, however the average student nationwide will pay only $15,282.

Find Out More About Columbia University in the City of New York
Related Schools
If you’re considering Columbia University in the City of New York, here are some more schools you may be interested in knowing more about.
- Case Western Reserve University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Lehigh University
- Northwestern University
- Washington University in St Louis
Curious on how these schools stack up against Columbia? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you!
Check out the following matchups:
- Columbia University in the City of New York vs. Case Western Reserve University
- Columbia University in the City of New York vs. Johns Hopkins University
- Columbia University in the City of New York vs. Lehigh University
- Columbia University in the City of New York vs. Northwestern University
- Columbia University in the City of New York vs. Washington University in St Louis
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.