Spring 2025 Costs for BCGS: Columbia Students

COSTS BILLED TO COLUMBIA ACCOUNT VIA SSOL

Tuition and Fees: You will pay Columbia’s home school tuition through SSOL. The spring tuition invoice will be sent via e-bill mid-December and will be due mid-January. It covers Columbia tuition and fees, course excursions, most course materials, some local transportation and cultural activities. It does not cover housing, meals, airfare, medical insurance, some course materials, personal travel, and personal expenses. Please see the Tuition Rates and Fees on the Student Financial Services website for specific information about fees. Note that you should look at the pages for your home school (Columbia College, School of General Studies, Columbia Engineering) for accurate rates.

Tuition and fees are subject to approval by The Trustees of Columbia University and may change.


Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses are not billed by Columbia. The estimated amounts in this section provide a basis for students to determine their individual budgets for expenses related to their time overseas for the duration of the program. The below estimate is an average of what students say they actually spend. These expenses are NOT paid to the program.

OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED)

Meals

$2,100-$3,000
Housing$3,000 - $6,000

Local Transportation

$100
Visa$0-$110
Books and Course Materials$210
Cell phone$262.50
Airfare$1,200
Personal Expenses$2,890
Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses (range, depending on housing choice)$9,872.50-$13,772.50

Meals: The cost for meals and food will vary widely depending on individual spending habits. Costs can be kept down by preparing their own meals and only eating out occasionally. This is based on 5 months.

Housing: All students will live in pre-arranged housing. The figures above reflect an estimated average for the various housing options noted on the program webpage. This is based on 6 months, which is a required amount of time that is needed to book housing.

Local Transportation: Students will be responsible for paying for transportation to and from the airport in Berlin at the start and end of the program. Students pay for their first month of local transportation and then it is covered by the program for the rest of the semester.

Visa: Students are responsible for visa fees, which vary in cost depending on citizenship.

Books and course supplies: You are responsible for purchasing any course materials at the local university.

Cellphone: All students are required to have a working cell phone capable of making and receiving both local and international calls throughout the duration of the program.

Airfare: Estimated cost of one round-trip airfare from NYC to Berlin. Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements from their preferred departure city to the program.

Personal Expenses: Personal expenses are highly variable based on each person's spending habits. They may include entertainment and personal travel. This is based on 5 months.

As part of the program, you will be covered for urgent and emergent care while you are abroad. Routine and preventive care is not included so you should maintain a health insurance policy that will provide coverage outside the U.S. or your home country. This cost is not included in the chart above.