Columbia University president salary and executive pay
Columbia paid its president, NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK, $1,826,091 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. That is up $667,925 (57.7%) from the fiscal year ending June 2024. Columbia ranks 43rd of 100 universities on this site by president's pay. Columbia has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Also known as Trustees of Columbia University.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 13-5598093, New York, NY.
President, fiscal year ending June 2025
$1,826,091
Highest-paid person, fiscal year ending June 2025
$6,866,322LAWRENCE GERALD LENKEPROFESSOR OF SURGERY
- Total revenue
- $7,512,150,787
- Pay vs. peers
- Higher than 5%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202631359349301618.View the filing
Peers: the 94 other universities on this site. Ranked 90th of 95 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.02% of revenue, our calculation from the same return. Revenue is Part I, line 12; peers are compared on their latest full-year returns.
Columbia's presidency changed during the fiscal year ending June 2025. Its return lists the former president, a president through August 14, 2024, an interim president and an acting president (at $0); the highest-paid of those with a president title leads.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 23 people were paid more than $500,000, 12 of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| LAWRENCE GERALD LENKEPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $6,866,322 |
| KIM LEWCEO OF IMC | $5,382,553 |
| RONALD ARTHUR LEHMAN JRPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $3,605,765 |
| EMILE BACHAProfessor of Surgery | $3,485,425 |
| CRAIG SMITHPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $3,274,922 |
President's pay by year
Each row is the president on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK President PRESIDENT (THROUGH 8/14/24) | $1,826,091 | $7,512,150,787 | Filing |
| Jun 2024 | NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK President PRESIDENT (AS OF 7/1/23) | $1,158,166 | $7,314,092,533 | Filing |
| Jun 2023 | LEE C BOLLINGER President PRESIDENT (THROUGH 6/30/23) | $4,994,815 | $6,654,842,677 | Filing |
| Jun 2022 | LEE C BOLLINGER President PRESIDENT | $3,879,804 | $7,109,530,946 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending June 2025.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202631359349301618.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| LAWRENCE GERALD LENKEPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $6,796,401 | $69,921 | $6,796,401 | $0 | $0 | $40,130 | $29,791 | $6,866,322 |
| KIM LEWCEO OF IMC | $3,178,812 | $2,203,741 | $1,089,729 | $2,089,083 | $0 | $2,167,989 | $35,752 | $5,382,553 |
| RONALD ARTHUR LEHMAN JRPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $3,501,009 | $104,756 | $3,498,954 | $0 | $2,055 | $41,051 | $63,705 | $3,605,765 |
| EMILE BACHAProfessor of Surgery | $3,392,921 | $92,504 | $3,176,499 | $207,806 | $8,616 | $41,373 | $51,131 | $3,485,425 |
| CRAIG SMITHPROFESSOR OF SURGERY | $3,199,206 | $75,716 | $3,137,179 | $62,027 | $0 | $46,000 | $29,716 | $3,274,922 |
| NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIKPRESIDENT (THROUGH 8/14/24) | $1,462,685 | $363,406 | $966,667 | $217,500 | $278,518 | $34,656 | $328,750 | $1,826,091 |
These figures come from Columbia's Form 990 returns, as the IRS publishes them. The methodology page explains how they're chosen. To report an error, email corrections@ceopaycheck.com.
How Columbia compares
Ranked 43rd of 100 universities by president's pay.
Closest in revenue among the universities on this site:
Cornell University$1,405,700 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Emory University$3,024,831 (President), fiscal year ending Aug 2025
University of Miami$6,737,344 (CEO), fiscal year ending May 2025
Harvard University$1,642,838 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
MIT$2,151,788 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Common questions
NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK (PRESIDENT (THROUGH 8/14/24)) was paid $1,826,091 for the fiscal year ending June 2025: $1,462,685 from Columbia and $363,406 in other compensation (Part VII columns D and F). Columbia ranks 43rd of 100 universities on this site by president's pay.
The highest-paid person on the latest return was LAWRENCE GERALD LENKE (PROFESSOR OF SURGERY), at $6,866,322. That is $5,040,231 more than the president, NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK. Next was KIM LEW (CEO OF IMC), at $5,382,553. On the latest return, 23 people were paid more than $500,000, 12 of them more than $1 million.
Columbia paid its president, NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK, $1,826,091 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. That is up $667,925 (57.7%) from the fiscal year ending June 2024. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending June 2022, when the president was LEE C BOLLINGER, paid $3,879,804. By fiscal year end: June 2022, $3,879,804 (LEE C BOLLINGER); June 2023, $4,994,815; June 2024, $1,158,166 (NEMAT MINOUCHE T SHAFIK); June 2025, $1,826,091.
From the 4 Form 990 returns Columbia University filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending June 2025 return breaks down pay for all 6 people in the pay breakdown above. The methodology page explains how they're chosen.