Employer · plans filed under one EIN
Trustees of Columbia University
New York, NY · Educational services
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances.
Trustees of Columbia University, based in New York, New York, sponsors 6 retirement plans with 100 or more participants: 4 defined contribution and 2 defined benefit. Together they reported 85,087 participant records and $10.9B in net assets.
The largest is Columbia University Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan, a 403(b) plan with 40,437 participants. A person can be counted in more than one plan, so the participant total is a count of records rather than of people.
Employer contributions across the plans were $228M and participant contributions $196M in the latest plan years; benefits paid were $487M. Schedule C compensation reported to service provider organisations totalled $2.9M.
Combined net assets moved from $2.98B in 2009 to $10.9B in 2024 (up 264%). Plan mergers and spin-offs show up here as steps in the series.
Plans
| Plan | Kind | Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 40,437 | $4.71B | $116,458 | — | $1.2M |
| Retirement Plan for Officers of Columbia University | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 34,090 | $5.64B | $165,543 | $14,200 | $943K |
| Columbia University Defined Contribution Plan for Supporting Staff | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 4,519 | $177M | $39,225 | $2,851 | $114K |
| Columbia University Defined Contribution Plan - Supporting Staff Association at the College of Physicians and Surgeons | 403(b) plan | 2024 | 3,689 | $117M | $31,581 | $1,318 | $101K |
| Columbia University Retirement Plan - Local 241, Transport Workers Union of America | defined benefit pension plan | 2024 | 1,754 | $175M | $99,953 | $5,193 | $343K |
| Retirement Plan for Building and Maintenance Employees of Columbia University Properties | defined benefit pension plan | 2024 | 598 | $45.0M | $75,292 | $5,502 | $219K |
| US median, plan year 2024: DC plans $53,102 per participant, $2,175 employer contribution per active participant; DB plans $86,221 and $10,244. | |||||||
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans | Participant records | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 85,087 | $10.9B | $228M | $196M |
| 2023 | 6 | 84,407 | $9.64B | $211M | $186M |
| 2022 | 6 | 72,012 | $8.30B | $201M | $170M |
| 2021 | 4 | 62,416 | $9.20B | $151M | $183M |
| 2020 | 4 | 66,816 | $8.21B | $178M | $153M |
| 2019 | 3 | 35,036 | $4.20B | $166M | $2.0M |
| 2018 | 4 | 62,277 | $6.07B | $155M | $145M |
| 2017 | 4 | 59,066 | $6.22B | $144M | $120M |
| 2016 | 4 | 56,089 | $5.33B | $134M | $157M |
| 2015 | 4 | 53,288 | $4.90B | $122M | $140M |
| 2014 | 4 | 50,743 | $4.77B | $114M | $130M |
| 2013 | 4 | 47,791 | $4.44B | $62.8M | $52.8M |
| 2012 | 4 | 47,354 | $4.02B | $100M | $90.0M |
| 2011 | 4 | 46,226 | $3.61B | $99.4M | $85.7M |
| 2010 | 4 | 44,660 | $3.52B | $107M | $78.7M |
| 2009 | 4 | 43,620 | $2.98B | $96.0M | $82.4M |
History of the plans listed above, in the years each filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants. Plans that have since terminated are not included.
Service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Plans | Compensation reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIAA | Custodial (securities) | 4 | $762,043 |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | Recordkeeping and information management; Participant loan processing | 3 | $639,471 |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | Recordkeeping and information management | 1 | $527,946 |
| State Street Global Advisors | Custodial (other than securities); Custodial (securities) | 2 | $339,736 |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | 6 | $247,680 |
| Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting | Consulting (pension) | 2 | $161,463 |
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Consulting (general); Other services; Actuarial | 5 | $155,672 |
| Seyfarth Shaw LLP | Legal | 1 | $19,072 |
| Martin Education Enterprises | Consulting (general); Other services | 1 | $18,558 |
| CBIZ Inc. | Recordkeeping and information management | 2 | $18,020 |
| Pension Benefit Information, LLC | Other services | 2 | $15,879 |
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Consulting (general); Other services | 1 | $8,384 |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | Securities brokerage | 3 | $4,718 |
Organisations paid $5,000 or more by any of these plans, from Schedule C. Individuals are not shown.
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans does Trustees of Columbia University have?
6 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 under its employer identification number for the latest plan years: Columbia University Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan, Retirement Plan for Officers of Columbia University, Columbia University Defined Contribution Plan for Supporting Staff and Columbia University Defined Contribution Plan - Supporting Staff Association at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and others. Smaller plans and plans filed under a subsidiary's number are not grouped here.
How much does Trustees of Columbia University contribute to its plans?
$227,997,724 in employer contributions across these plans in their latest plan years, about $5,189 per active participant record. Form 5500 reports totals and not the match or accrual formula.
Who provides services to these plans?
Schedule C filings name TIAA, The Vanguard Group, Inc., The Vanguard Group, Inc. and State Street Global Advisors and others. Only organisations paid $5,000 or more by a plan are listed on Schedule C.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports filed with the Department of Labor's EFAST2 system, from the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Figures are as filed and may be amended.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Plans are grouped by the sponsor's employer identification number exactly as filed; a company that files under several EINs appears as several employers. See the methodology and corrections.