Teachers College Columbia University
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Teachers College, Columbia Universitys (TC or the College) mission is to empower committed learners and leaders to build a smarter, healthier, more just and equitable world through multidisciplinary knowledge creation, policy engagement, and practice innovations across education, psychology, and health.
- Income
- $289.8 million
- Spending
- $270.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 6.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 70%
- Employees
- 2,757
- Volunteers
- 219
- Highest pay
- $946,120, president & trustee
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 19% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2533 of 34 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (7)
- $119.1 million spent. Instruction: Teachers College is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States. Since its inception, the College has viewed education holistically, with the conviction that education must work in tandem with efforts to improve and ensure the health and psychological wellbeing of individuals and communities. Thus, in addition to focusing on PK-12 classroom education, Teachers College has helped forge and advance fields of inquiry such as education psychology, nutrition education, special education, conflict resolution, adult learning, movement sciences and many more areas in human development. Throughout history and contemporary discourse, the College has been at the forefront of innovative ideas and inquiry designed to create opportunity for all individuals across the lifespan. Today, approximately a third of TCs tenure track faculty are psychologists and health educators (153 full-time faculty). The College continues to take a multidisciplinary approach through its 45 academic programs in 10 departments across education, health and psychology. The College continues to receive high marks for its academic offerings. In 2016, the Middle States Commission for Higher Education emphatically renewed the institutions accreditation for the next ten years, affirming the Colleges efforts to shape 21st-century approaches to teaching and learning through a research-inspired multi-disciplinary approach, blending both theory and practice and responsiveness to emerging societal issues surrounding education. In 2021, the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), founded in 2017, granted full, seven-year accreditation to TCs educator preparation programs. Issued with no recommendations for improvements, the accreditation was accompanied by an official commendation citing the quality of [TCs] programs . . . and deep, responsive, inquiry-based engagement with schools and learners in New York City. Additionally, in 2024, Teachers College tied as the #1 graduate school of education according to U.S. News and World Report and in 2025 as the #2 school.
- $44.6 million spent. Research, Training and Public Service: Teachers Colleges faculty includes some of the most internationally prominent and respected scholars, researchers and practitioners in their various fields. Our faculty examine a diverse range of topics, including the impact of poverty on the brain, the legal basis for a constitutional right to education, artificial intelligence in education, gun violence prevention in schools, the impact of microaggressions on wellbeing and language development related to autism. TCs Vice Dean for Research continues to lead efforts to strengthen the institutional infrastructure to support faculty and their work. TCs annual external funded research and training expenditures for FY25 were in excess of $44 million with major funding provided by the US National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the US Department of Health & Human Services, the Bezos Family Foundation and other public and non-profit institutions. With a critical voice in national and global discourse, TC emphasizes public and community engagement as opportunities for faculty, staff and students to implement the Colleges values into practice for public good. The Colleges Digital Futures Institute continues to gain momentum as an interdisciplinary hub that explores innovative uses of technology through teaching, research and public engagement. Faculty engaged in policy research are thought leaders and influencers in early childhood education, community colleges, social services, school finance, national learning standards and funding of national health programs. The College brings academic experts and other thought leaders on a range of issues to campus through visiting professorships, named lectures and other events. TC faculty are also widely known for innovative curriculum development in academic subjects; school-based health education; nutrition education; organizational psychology; developmental psychology; and more. Teachers College partners with the local community through several innovative school partnerships. The Teachers College Community School (TCCS), located in West Harlem, provides expertise, academic enrichment and support throughout the school, specifically: professional development for teachers; development and evaluation of curriculum; and academic enrichment. More than 20 TC students participate in programs at TCCS during each academic semester. Through TCs Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Advanced Study, which celebrated its 50th year in 2023, the College also supports the university-assisted community school initiative called Raising Educational Achievement of Harlem (REACH), which brings together community-based organizations and institutional partners to provide academic support and enrichment, mentoring, and mental health support at local schools. REACH supports more than 800 students in three partner schools in Central Harlem.
- $22.0 million spent. Auxiliary Enterprises: Provides a convenient source of meals and lodging for students enhancing their College experience. Another major component of auxiliary enterprises is the Teachers College Press. Established in 1904 as the Bureau of Publications, the Press is one of the oldest and most distinguished publishers of educational materials in the United States. Since 1965, when the Bureau of Publications became Teachers College Press, its primary purpose has been to publish works that respond to, examine, and confront issues and change pertaining to education and the educational process. Over the years, the publication program has included scholarly and professional works in all areas of education-from early childhood and curriculum to philosophy and critical theory; from assessment and school reform to parenting and social issues. It now publishes more than 65 titles a year with more than 1,350 titles in print. Among the Presss authors are many of the most distinguished educators from throughout the world, including members of the Teachers College faculty.
- $22.8 million spent. Academic Support: Provides support services for the Colleges primary mission of instruction, research and public service. The College provides students with access to its Gottesman Libraries, one of the nations largest and most comprehensive research libraries in education. The collections reflect TCs commitment to advanced study in education, psychology, and the health professions. The library has developed extensive collections including 500,000 printed volumes and Substantial non-print collections.
- $14.1 million spent. Student Services: Contributes to a students emotional and physical well-being and intellectual and social development. The College awarded approximately $40 million in financial aid in FY25, has roughly 5,400 students and over 46 student organizations. The Graduate Writing Center (GWC) provided more than 1,200 support sessions in FY25. GWC holds weekly writing groups for students and workshops each semester on topics such as literature review, APA formatting, and notetaking.
- Academic Support: Provides support services for the Colleges primary mission of instruction, 22848268. 150000. 0.
- Student Services: Contributes to a students emotional and physical well-being and intellectual 14125638. 0. 0.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1935.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.