Your Cost of Attendance

Your Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of the total cost of attending Teachers College during an academic year. It includes more than just your tuition bill and reflects both the educational expenses charged by the College and the additional costs you may incur while pursuing your degree.

Your COA is unique to your individual circumstances and may vary based on factors such as your enrollment level, housing arrangements, academic program, health insurance requirements, and other personal expenses.

While Teachers College publishes annual tuition and fee information, those figures represent only a portion of your overall educational costs. They also do not account for any financial aid you may receive, such as scholarships, grants, loans, assistantships, or Federal Work-Study.

If you have questions about your estimated COA, we encourage you to contact the Office of Financial Aid for assistance.

Direct and Indirect Expenses

Your COA includes both direct expenses and indirect expenses.

Direct expenses are charges billed directly by Teachers College and will appear on your student account.

Indirect expenses are educational costs you may reasonably incur while enrolled, but they are not billed by the College.

Understanding the difference between these costs can help you create a more realistic budget and better prepare for your graduate school expenses.

Health Insurance

Teachers College students who are enrolled full-time, living in College housing, or meeting other applicable requirements must maintain health insurance coverage.

Students are automatically enrolled in the Columbia University student health insurance plan and billed accordingly. However, you may be able to waive the insurance charge if you can demonstrate comparable coverage through another plan.

Health insurance requirements apply to both domestic and international students.

If you have questions about health fees, insurance requirements, or the waiver process, please contact Columbia Student Insurance.

How We Calculate Your Annual Cost of Attendance

The Office of Financial Aid develops an annual COA budget based on nine months of enrollment during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Your estimated budget may include:

• Tuition
• Mandatory fees
• Books and course materials
• Health fees and insurance
• Housing and food
• Transportation
• Personal expenses
• Federal loan fees
• Licensing, certification, and professional credential costs

If you plan to enroll for only one semester or intend to attend during the summer term, please contact the Office of Financial Aid so we can help you understand your adjusted cost of attendance.

Use the tabs below to review estimated budgets for each academic year:

How Your Cost of Attendance Affects Your Financial Aid

Your cost of attendance is one of the primary factors used to determine your eligibility for financial aid.

Federal aid, including loans, grants, and Federal Work-Study, cannot exceed your approved cost of attendance. Institutional scholarships, grants, fellowships, assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and other educational resources may also affect your overall financial aid eligibility.

Because your financial circumstances can change over time, your aid eligibility may be adjusted if you receive additional funding.

Enrollment and Your Financial Aid Offer

Financial aid offers are generally based on half-time enrollment, which is equivalent to five billable credits per semester, unless your academic program follows a different enrollment model.

If you enroll in more or fewer credits than originally anticipated, your cost of attendance and financial aid eligibility may be adjusted automatically.

We encourage you to use the Cost of Attendance Calculator to estimate your educational expenses based on your expected enrollment and academic plans.