Financial statements

Amazingly for such a disorganized bureaucracy, Columbia manages to keep a decent set of financial statements. Both brief and extensive descriptions of the university's cash flows are available for those with enough accounting skills to decode them.

A summary for the year ended June 30, 2006 states:

• Revenues $2,709,865,000
  • Government grants and contracts 24%
  • Tuition and fees 19%
  • Other educational and research activities 15%
  • Medical faculty practice plans 15%
  • Private gifts, grants, and contracts 12%
  • Investment income and gains utilized 11%
  • Other 4%

• Expenses $2,540,033,000
  • Instruction, research, and educational administration 59%
  • Medical faculty practice plans 15%
  • Institutional support 6%
  • Operation and maintenance of plant 5%
  • Depreciation 5%
  • Other 3%
  • Auxiliary enterprises 3%
  • Library 2%
  • Interest 2%