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Exec LL.M. Tuition and Fees

When you pursue an Executive LL.M. degree at Columbia Law School, you are making a sound investment in your future as a leader in global business law.

Below is a summary of the program’s tuition, fees, estimated living costs, and additional charges, as well as our budgeting recommendations, information about health insurance, and funding opportunities.

Standard cost of attendance for 2024:

Tuition 2024$83,860
Fees 
ISSO International Services Fee*    $285
ISSO Administrative Processing Fee*    $109
Student Activity Fee*    $145
University Services and Support Fee*    $535
Health and Related Services Fee*    $475
Total Tuition and Mandatory Fees*$85,409
Student Health Insurance (the Columbia Plan)*    $1,059
Document Fee (one-time fee for Columbia University students)*    $105
Total University Charges*$86,573

*Tuition for 2024 is finalized. The fees are subject to change and will be finalized in March.

Living costs for the summer residency period:

Room**$7,500
Board$1,200
Personal$1,600
Total living costs$10,300
Books and supplies (All course books and materials are provided for you)$0
Total Executive LL.M. Program budget$93,805

**The estimated room expenses anticipate a budget for rent/utilities of $2,500/month for a single student.

Learn more about budgeting and costs below.

If you choose to withdraw, consult the Columbia University Registrar's site for information on the tuition refund schedule.

The living expenses quoted above allow for a moderate standard of living for the New York area during the 12-week residency. Individual budgets may vary based on your own personal preferences and spending habits.

You should plan carefully to make sure your funds will be sufficient for the entire residency. Students who need to finance their entire cost of education must keep in mind that they will be living on a fixed income and establish their spending priorities accordingly. We suggest you prepay your major non-discretionary expenses for the term—such as tuition, fees, and rent—or set aside adequate funds in a separate account to cover these costs for the entire term.

Students may encounter some expenses that are not covered by the standard cost of attendance, such as the purchase of a computer or unreimbursed costs for medical services that occur within the residency period.

Learn more about Columbia University's health plan. 

You may apply for merit-based financial assistance by completing the merit essay as part of the application for admission. To explore lending options, visit the university's Financial Aid Office or contact the Law School's Financial Aid Office directly at [email protected] or 212-854-6522.

Mailing Address:
Financial Aid Office
Columbia Law School
435 West 116th Street, Box A-4
New York, NY 10027

Please note that the Financial Aid Office provides information to Executive LL.M. students on loans only; please do not contact that office for information on tuition waivers or any other form of aid.

For prospective applicants who need funding, we encourage you to seek other sources as early as possible.

The following foundations have been cited by former LL.M. students as helpful in their search. Many require application well in advance of your intended start date for graduate study (some up to 18 months), so you should make inquiries immediately.

A list of further sources, while by no means exhaustive, is available through LL.M. Guide.

AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women)
Since 1881, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been the nation's leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls and positive societal change. One of the world's largest sources of funding exclusively for graduate women, the AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers more than $500,000 in funding to Scandinavians to undertake study or research programs (usually at the graduate level) in the United States for up to one year. Awards are made in all fields. Candidates for awards are recommended to the ASF by their cooperating organizations:


BFLSA (Australia and New Zealand)
Established in 1983, the BFSLA (Banking & Financial Services Law Association) has become the leading organization for banking and financial services and insolvency law in Australia and New Zealand. Each year, the BFSLA offers a scholarship of up to $50,000 (AUD) to Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents for postgraduate study in banking and financial services law (or related fields) at leading universities overseas.

COLFUTURO (Colombia)
COLFUTURO is a Colombian nonprofit foundation established in 1991 with the support of the national government and some of the most important private sector companies in the country at the time. It provides financial support to Colombian citizens to help them access high-quality postgraduate study programs abroad.

Ethel Benjamin Scholarship (New Zealand)
In 1997, the trustees of the New Zealand Law Foundation unanimously decided to mark the centenary of the admission of Ethel Benjamin as the first woman barrister and solicitor by establishing this scholarship as a merit-based award to outstanding women scholars who are citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand.

The Foundation Center
An independent nonprofit information clearinghouse established in 1956, the center is an excellent source of information on grants. The center's mission is to foster public understanding of the foundation by collecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminating information on foundations, corporate giving, and related subjects.

Fulbright
Fulbright grants are administered by the Institute of International Education and typically require an application up to a year in advance of the LL.M. application.

Fundação Estudar (Brazil)
Fundação Estudar is a merit-based scholarship program for Brazilian students that also provides career development and networking programs for its scholars, both during and after their academic experiences. Brazilian students already accepted to leading undergraduate and MBA, M.A., MSc, LL.M., M.P.A., and M.P.P. programs who demonstrate great intellectual and professional potential, leadership spirit, entrepreneurial drive, and commitment to Brazil are eligible to apply. 

Instituto Ling (Brazil)
Instituto Ling provides scholarships for Brazilian students admitted to an LL.M. program in the United States.

The J.N. Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians
The J.N. Tata Endowment was set up in 1892 by the founder of the Tata group, Jamsetji N Tata, to encourage young people to take up higher studies at leading universities around the world. For more than a century, the endowment has helped scholars of merit realize their dreams of a world-class education through its loan scholarship program. Scholarships are awarded for higher studies abroad in all disciplines and subjects. The endowment selects approximately 120 scholarship recipients annually through a rigorous selection process. Over the years, several JN Tata scholars have distinguished themselves in various walks of life. While the endowment awards only loan scholarships, the selected scholars may also qualify for a gift award.

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF)
MMMF was established in 1981 to honor the late Margaret McNamara and her commitment to the well-being of women and children in developing countries. The grant strives to support the education of women from developing countries who are dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in their home countries.

Organization of American States
The Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) administers one of the hemisphere's largest multinational fellowships and training programs. Every year, the agency provides several hundred fellowships for graduate studies and research at educational institutions and training centers in OAS Member and Observer States. 

In addition, the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund, a student loan program of the OAS, awards educational loans to qualified persons from Latin American and Caribbean countries to help them finance their higher studies in the United States. These loans are made on the understanding that when the recipients have completed their studies, they will return to their respective home countries to promote development there.

P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship
P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) was founded in January 1869 by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College. P.E.O. exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever worthwhile endeavor they choose. True to the mission of promoting educational opportunities for women, education continues to be the primary philanthropy of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. The P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Fund was established in 1949 to provide scholarships for international women students to pursue graduate study in the United States and Canada.

P.J.C. Lindfors Legal Studies Fund (Finland)
The P.J.C. Lindfors Legal Studies Fund is administered by Finlandia Foundation National (FFN), the premier network of Finnish-American organizations in the United States. The scholarship was established by Pertti Lindfors, a Finnish-American attorney in San Francisco, California, to encourage cross-cultural study and understanding by law students in Finland and the United States.

Postgrad Solutions
Postgrad Solutions offers 15 bursaries across a number of subject areas, open to students from anywhere in the world. If you are starting a postgraduate course in the academic year 2021-22, you are eligible to apply for a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary. Each bursary is worth £500.

Red Thread Fellowship Award
The Red Thread Scholarship is available to college-bound women of international backgrounds who will be entering an American college or university in the coming Fall. If selected, scholars are awarded $1000 to help offset the cost of tuition, books, and living expenses. Other awards may be disbursed as funds are available.

William Georgetti Scholarship (New Zealand)
The William Georgetti Scholarship encourages postgraduate study and research, normally in New Zealand, in a field that—in the opinion of the Scholarship Board—is important to the social, cultural, or economic development of New Zealand.

Yvonne A M Smith Scholarship (New Zealand)
The Yvonne A M Smith Charitable Trust funds an annual scholarship for the advancement of the education of women graduates who wish to pursue master’s or doctoral studies. Preference is given to the subject areas of political studies, economics, business, and law, as well as to candidates who demonstrate potential for leadership and a desire for the promotion of women in decision-making roles.