Columbia University in the City of New York

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY, USA

Founded in 1754, Columbia University is a private research university located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The urban Ivy League campus houses 17 libraries and 20 schools, which offer upwards of 350 majors, as well as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the world. As the birthplace of FM radio and the first literary magazine in the nation, Columbia University has a prominent Journalism School, and houses the archives of winning Pulitzer Prize entries in journalism dating from 1917 to the present.

Admissions

Key Admissions Stats

Institution Type
Private
  • Not for Profit
  • Coed

Need Aware

This school may consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission

Level of Institution
4 Year
Campus Setting
Major city
0
100
4%
Acceptance Rate

Admissions Requirements

SAT
SAT is not checked
No
ACT
ACT is not checked
No
Transcript
Transcript is checked
Yes

Important Deadlines

Application TypeApplication DeadlineReply Deadline
Early Decision Acceptance is binding so student must attend college if accepted.November 1
Early Action Acceptance is not binding, but student will receive admissions decision earlier.March 1
Fall Regular DecisionMay 15

Admitted Student Stats

In-State Students
17%
Out-Of-State Students
57%
28%
Submitting ACT
43%
Submitting SAT
Average ACT Composite: 35
0
36
Average SAT Composite: 1511
0
1600

Academics

Key Academic Stats

Highest Degree Offered
Doctorate
Total Number of Students
33,776
Total Number of Undergrads
8,832
Academic Calendar

Semester

See your fit
Classroom Sizes

2-19 Students
83%
20-39 Students
15%
0
100
86%
Graduate in 4 Years US National: 28%
0
100
95%
Graduate in 6 Years US National: 52%
Student:Faculty Ratio
6:1
US National: 21:1

Tuition, Cost & Aid

Key Financial Stats

Average Net Price
$22,126
Calculate your net cost
Tuition
In-State Tuition In-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who meet the state's or institution's residency requirements. In-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students residing in the locality in which they attend school and may be a lower rate than in-state tuition if offered by the institution.
$65,508
Out-of-State Tuition Out-of-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements. Out-of-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students not residing in the locality in which they attend school.
$65,508
Additional Costs
Room and Board The weighted average for room and board and other expenses is generated as follows:
  • (amount for on-campus room, board and other expenses * # of students living on-campus.
  • + amount for off-campus (with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus with family
  • + amount for off-campus (not with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus not with family)
divided by the total # of students. Students whose living arrangements are unknown are excluded from the calculation. For some institutions the # of students by living arrangement will be known, but dollar amounts will not be known. In this case the # of students with no corresponding dollar amount will be excluded from the denominator.
$16,286
Books and Supplies
$1366

Aid & Grants

0
100
59%
Need Met
Students Receiving Gift Aid Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal gift aid. Federal gift aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
23%
Average Aid Per Year
$57,642
Students Receiving Grants Percent of undergraduate students awarded grant aid. Grant aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
23%
Average Federal Grant Aid Per Year
$6,649
Average Institution Grant Aid Per Year
$55,773

Student Loans

Students Borrowing Loans Loans to students - Any monies that must be repaid to the lending institution for which the student is the designated borrower. Includes all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally- and privately-sponsored loans. Does not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents.
9%
Average Loan Amount Per Year
$12,141
Average Debt at Graduation The median federal debt of undergraduate borrowers who graduated. This figure includes only federal loans; it excludes private student loans and Parent PLUS loans.
$19,000
Median Monthly Loan Payment The median monthly loan payment for student borrowers who completed, if it were repaid over 10 years at a 5.05% interest rate.
$205

Campus Life

Key Campus Stats

Student Gender
Male
Female
51%
49%
Student Organizations
500
Size of Town
Major city
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups is not checked
No
On Campus Women's Center
On Campus Women's Center is checked
Yes

Housing

0
100
92%
Undergrads Living on Campus
On-campus living required of freshman
No

Athletics

Divisional Sports Nickname
Lions
School Colors
columbia blue and white
Varsity Athletics Association
NCAA
Varsity Athletics Conference Primary
Ivy Group

Campus Safety

24-HR security patrol
24-HR security patrol is checked
Yes
Campus emergency phones
Campus emergency phones is checked
Yes

After Graduation

Post Grad Stats

Top 5 Cities
New York
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Washington
Boston
Employed
6 mos. after graduation
70%
Average Salary
6 years after graduation
$115,600

What Students Are Saying

Between the Common Core and the city of New York, it is difficult to conceive of an education more intellectually stimulating than that which Columbia provides. The Core allows students to engage with the great thinkers of the past, while New York City provides a wealth of cultural opportunities both historically oriented and contemporary. The result is an environment which enables students to conceive and accomplish important work.
Nathan from Cincinnati, OH
It can be the best four years of your life and make all your dreams come true. However, there are MANY obstacles that will try and stop you from achieving this. In this end, it all depends on how forward-thinking, mature, in-the-moment you are and your general outlook of life.
ESTEBAN from Fullerton, CA
The connections made with professors and instructors are great. The climate (in terms of the resources available) is perfect for the student who is itching to be independent and loves the city. However, it gets cold fast and stays cold for long periods of time - it snowed late April and was cold enough for coats in early May.
Esther from Bowie, MD
Columbia University is extremely challenging and therefore extremely rewarding. It does not allow you room to be average or mediocre because it encourages excellence. CU will show you what you are made of.
Krizia from Fort Bragg, NC