TUITION & FINANCING
Tuition
For Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024, tuition is $2,536 per point (credit). Tuition is calculated based on the total number of points registered for in a given semester. Full-time students are registered for 12 or more points in a given semester.
Tuition and fees are subject to Board of Trustee approval and may change.
Fees
This listing is intended to summarize possible charges that could be incurred against a student’s account. Certain charges depend upon specific circumstances, as noted. Fees that are not billed to the student account, such as course fees or placement test fees, may be required but are not listed here.
Student Activities Fee*
M.S. Students
$300.00 per term
University Services and Support Fee**
M.S. Students (Full-time)
$535.00 per term
M.S. Students (Part-time)
$400.00 per term
Certificate Students (Full-time)
$535.00 per term
Certificate Students (Part-time)
$400.00 per term
One-time Document Fee
$105.00 one-time fee for all new students
Orientation Fee (beginning Fall 2021)***
$150.00 one-time fee for all new M.S. students
Late Registration Fees
$50.00 during late registration period
$100.00 after late registration period
International Services Charge
Required of all international students. $135.00 per term
Withdrawal Fee
Required of any student who drops all courses for which he or she has registered. $75.00 per term
Health and Related Services Fee****
Full-time Students (12+ credits)
$475.00 per term
Half-time Students (6-11.99 credits)
$238.00 per term
Part-time Students (1-5.99 credits)
$143.00 per term
Technology Fee
$35.00 per term
Student Medical Insurance
All full-time students must provide proof of insurance or enroll in one of the University plans. This fee is optional for part-time students. See www.health.columbia.edu for details and rates.
Tuition and fees are subject to the Columbia University Board of Trustees approval and may change.
* Student Activities Fee – Assessed to support in-person and online student-facing services and events including but not limited to: Academic Support, Career Services, Graduation, Student Engagement Programs, and SPS student organizations. All events can be found on SPS Engage at
https://sps.columbia.edu/about-sps-engage/engage.
** University Services and Support Fee – Students are required to pay a University Facilities Fee depending on their registration. Full-time students are those registered for 12 or more points over a 16-week term. This fee is subject to Board of Trustee approval and may change.
*** Orientation Fee – Required one-time fee for all entering degree students in their first term, covering the costs of mandatory orientation programming.
**** Health Service Fee – Required of all students. Includes clinical services provided on campus as well as integrated off-campus services. See www.health.columbia.edu for details. Students who pay the Health Service Fee in Spring are not required to pay the Health Service Fee in Summer. The Summer Fee applies to new summer students only.
Deposit Requirement
In order to secure a place in the program, admitted students must pay a nonrefundable deposit of $2,000 to the university by the deadline stated in the acceptance letter. The deposit is credited toward the student’s tuition upon matriculation and is nonrefundable. Under no circumstances can the acceptance deposit be waived. Students who fail to remit their deposit by the deadline forfeit their place in the entering class. Students who make deposits but do not enroll on the agreed date lose their deposits.
Financial Resources available to students include the following:
Columbia University Student Financial Services
School of Professional Studies Financial Resources
Earth Institute Sustainability Science Fellows Program
Prospective Students:
The Earth Institute Sustainability Science (EISS) Fellows program provides fellowship funding for use towards the cost of tuition. The Sustainability Science Admissions and Fellowship Committee will determine fellowship recipients and award amounts based on academic and professional merit.
Continuing Students:
The Earth Institute Sustainability Science (EISS) Fellows program provides fellowship funding for use towards the cost of tuition. The Sustainability Science Fellowship Committee will determine fellowship recipients and award amounts based on demonstrated financial need, academic and professional merit. Applications for continuing students will be open May 15, 2023, for the fall semester and Nov 15, 2023, for the spring semester.
Please reach out to Maria Gray (maria.gray@climate.columbia.edu) for more information.
Course Reader Roles
Each semester, the program offers Course Reader positions (formerly known as Teaching Assistant roles) to highly achieving students on a competitive basis. Students who are awarded these positions assist instructors with the grading of assignments and other administrative duties associated with courses in the program. Course Readers will receive $3,010.00 per class/per term (applicable for both full and part time students). This compensation level will be implemented as of the Summer 2023 session. Students will also be eligible to apply for the dozens of curricula and grading assistantships offered by other Earth Institute-affiliated graduate and undergraduate programs.
Please note: Students serving as Course Readers are encouraged to also apply for fellowship support through the Earth Institute Sustainability Science Fellows Program.
Earth Institute Internships
The Climate School’s Earth Institute offers more than 20 internships to students every academic year. These positions are available throughout the Earth Institute’s research centers, administrative units, and academic programs. Interns are paid an hourly rate of $21, and they may work up to 20 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters, and up to 35 hours per week in the summer. Hiring for internships takes place on a competitive basis.
School of Professional Studies Financial Resources
The School of Professional Studies works to ensure that the cost of continuing education and professional studies do not stand in the way of students’ goals. Most students at the School use a combination of savings, scholarships, loans, outside grants, sponsors, or employer tuition benefits to cover the cost of attendance. Visit the School’s financial resources website for more information.