Columbia University

Columbia University's $2.5M in disclosed federal lobbying puts it in the mid-tier of registered filers. Spending in the seven-figure range is common for established trade groups, mid-size corporations, and advocacy organizations that maintain a steady but not aggressive presence on Capitol Hill.

Across the 5-year window from 2020 to 2024, Columbia University's annual disclosed lobbying spend has climbed meaningfully — from $424K in 2020 to $502K in 2024, a change of +18%. Step-changes of this size often coincide with major bills moving through Congress, regulatory rulemakings affecting the organization's industry, or a leadership change in the relevant committee.

Columbia University's disclosed lobbying focuses on a narrow 3-issue footprint. A focused issue list usually means the organization concentrates its federal engagement on a small set of bills or rulemakings directly relevant to its core business.

1 of 2 lobbyists reported by Columbia University (50%) disclose prior federal government service — a high revolving-door share. The LDA cover sheet flags any "covered position" the lobbyist held in the executive branch, Congress, or a senior staff role within the past two years.

Among the named bench, lobbyists with disclosed prior federal service include Patricia A. Hogan (Former Legislative Director, U.S. House of Representatives). The covered-position field on LDA cover sheets captures executive-branch and senior congressional roles held within the prior two years.

Within the Education sector, Columbia University ranks #12 of 18 tracked organizations by disclosed lobbying spend. The sector leader is University of California at $11.9M; the sector average is $4.0M. Columbia University's $2.5M sits 38% below the sector average.

Columbia University's LobbySpend Influence Score of 55/100 (grade C) is the most common grade in the index — it covers organizations with established but moderate federal advocacy programs. The score combines disclosed total spend (40%), issue breadth (30%), and revolving-door connections (30%). A C-grade is typical of mid-size corporations and trade associations with steady quarterly filings on a focused issue set.

Every figure above is sourced from Senate lobbying disclosure filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Per-issue dollar splits and covered-position flags are filer-reported and may be amended after initial submission.