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Rockefeller University

Engaged Employer

Rockefeller University reviews

4.2

84% would recommend to a friend

(406 total reviews)
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Richard P. Lifton

72% approve of CEO

63% positive business outlook

Rockefeller University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 406 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Rockefeller University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

406 reviews
5.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Competitive Salary: Pay rates ($24–$25/hr) are above the NYC average for environmental services.Excellent Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance, generous paid time off, and strong retirement matching.Prestigious Institution: Clean, safe, and highly respected Ivy-league level research campus environment.Job Stability: Stable full-time hours with reliable bi-weekly pay schedules and low turnover.Community Respect: Friendly interactions with world-class scientists, researchers, and students.

Cons

igh Cost of Living: Manhattan location means commuting is long and expensive if you cannot afford NYC rent.Physically Demanding: Requires standing, lifting, and repetitive manual labor for the entire 8-hour shift.Strict Lab Standards: Cleaning bio-research labs requires strict adherence to safety protocols and extra caution.Limited Career Growth: Few opportunities to move up into higher-paying administrative roles from cleaning.Weekend/Shift Work: Some roles require early morning, late night, or weekend rotations.

5.0
Dec 9, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cutting-edge science, great colleagues, a very good place for you to do science

Cons

everything else outside the campus is expensive, especially for family with kids.

5.0
Nov 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Top notch science and people. Labs are well funded. Best salary and benefits you'll ever find as a PhD student (salary/housing, fitness classes, etc). Nice campus, a little oasis in NYC. Lots of independence. A small and friendly community. Culture of work-life balance in many labs.

Cons

Some perks have been cut recently. Lack of name recognition outside biology compared to comparable research institutions like Harvard, Columbia (biologists all know RU is on the same level, but non-biologists don't). We only do biology so there's not as much access to compsci, math, etc.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 406 Reviews

Glassdoor has 426 Rockefeller University reviews submitted anonymously by Rockefeller University employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Rockefeller University is right for you.