Columbia Dining

Columbia Dining

First-Year Students

All first-year students in residence are required to enroll in one of three dining plans, each of which is comprised of a varying number of meals served in John Jay Dining Hall, Ferris Booth Commons, or JJ’s Place, and Dining Dollars, which can be used at the 11 dining locations on campus. Plan 3 is the only first-year plan that also includes Off Campus Flex. 

First-Year Dining Plans

  1. 19 meals per week and 75 Dining Dollars per term, plus 15 floating meals and 6 faculty meals
  2. 15 meals per week and 125 Dining Dollars per term, plus 10 floating meals and 6 faculty meals
  3. 19 meals per week, $50 Flex and 25 Dining Dollars per term, plus 15 floating meals and 6 faculty meals

The dining plans are transacted through the University ID Card, which serves as a convenient way to enjoy dining all over campus without carrying cash.

Meals

The meals portion of the dining plan enables students to help themselves to unlimited servings of food served in John Jay Dining Hall, Ferris Booth Commons, or JJ’s Place. The hours of operations for these locations offer 24-hour dining.

Dining Dollars

In addition to meals, Dining Dollars comprise the other portion of the first-year dining plan. Each Dining Dollar is equal to one dollar and operates as a declining balance account, much like a debit card.

Columbia Dining maintains 10 dining facilities conveniently located on campus. Each of the locations accepts Dining Dollars, an alternative to cash payment that is accessed by the University ID card.

With Dining Dollars, students will enjoy the ease and flexibility of cashless transactions as well as the savings of sales tax on all food purchases. Dining Dollars will roll over from year to year until graduation.

Upper-Class and Graduate Students

Many upperclass and graduate students who dine on campus open a Dining Dollars account; however, some choose to enroll in an upperclass/graduate student dining plan.

Columbia Dining offers ten plans—all are accessed by the University ID Card and can be used for meals in John Jay Dining Hall, Ferris Booth Commons, or JJ’s Place.The hours of operations for these locations offers dining options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night, with continuous dining from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Upperclass, GS, and Graduate Dining Plans

A Weekly. 14 meals per week and 200 Dining dollars per term, plus 15 floating meals and 6 guest meals
A Term. 210 meals per term and 200 Dining dollars per term
A Meal Only. 210 meals only
B Dining Dollars. 175 meals per term and 200 Dining Dollars per term, plus 6 guest meals
B Flex. 175 meals and 200 Flex per term, plus 6 guest meals
C. 100 meals and 125 Dining Dollars per term, plus 4 guest meals
D. 75 meals and 75 Dining Dollars per term, plus 2 guest meals
EZ1. 19 meals per week and 75 Dining Dollars per term, plus 6 guest meals and 15 floating meals
EZ2. 15 meals per week and 125 Dining Dollars, plus 6 guest meals and 10 floating meals
EZ3. 19 meals per week and 25 Dining Dollars, plus $50 Flex, 6 guest meals, and 15 floating meals

Kosher Dining Plan

All students who participate in a dining plan, including first-year, upperclass, General Studies, or graduate students, are eligible for the Columbia Kosher Dining Plan. Signing up for this dining plan allows access to a restricted kosher area within John Jay Dining Hall as well as Express Meals to go. CU kosher meals can also, for an additional charge, be exchanged for a kosher meal at Barnard’s Hewitt Hall (kosher to kosher only). To sign up, the student selects a plan from either the First Year Dining Plan or the Upperclass Dining Plan options, according to the student’s status, then elects to enroll in the Kosher Dining Plan. The addition of the Kosher Dining Plan adds 10 percent to the cost of the selected plan. For more details, a dining plan comparison, and additional tools, visit the Columbia Dining website.

Locations/Menus/Hours

Locations, menus, and hours of all campus dining facilities can be found at dining.columbia.edu. You can also view photos and take a virtual tour of some of our facilities. Menus and hours are also available on the Dine@CU iPhone app.

Nutrition, Food Allergies, and Special Diets

Registered dietitian Bianca Tamburello is available on site as well as online to address individual questions and concerns related to food allergies, intolerances, and dietary preferences. Bianca can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 212-854-3353 with questions, to schedule a consultation, or to discuss personal meal planning. For more information and a nutrition calculator, visit the Columbia Dining website. Nutrition data can also be accessed on the Dine@CU iPhone app.