Key differences on Outcomes
- 1
Yale graduates 5 pts more of its students than Columbia (98% vs. 93%)
Graduation rate - 2
Columbia grads earn $2K more ten years out than Yale's ($102,491 vs. $100,533)
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Outcomes
Outcomes
Earnings and finishing
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Columbia$102.5KHighest
Yale$100.5K
Graduation rate
Columbia93%
Yale98%Highest
Retention rate
Columbia98%
Yale99%Highest
Borrowing
Median debt
Columbia$21.5K
Yale$13KLowest
Undergrads with a federal loan
Columbia14%
Yale5%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Columbia$21.6K
Yale$8.1KLowest
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Columbia84%
Yale87%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Columbia94%
Yale98%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Columbia1%
Yale0%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Columbia93%
Yale96%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Columbia97%
Yale96%
Pell graduation gap
Columbia4 pts lower
YaleNo gap
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Columbia | Yale |
|---|---|---|
| White | 97% | 97% |
| Asian | 99% | 97% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 94% | 93% |
| Black | 97% | 93% |
| Two or more races | 96% | 93% |
| International | 93% | 96% |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;Columbia University in the City of New York Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Yale University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why