Columbia University
New York, NY
New York, NY
The more voices we hear, the more we learn—the better we understand
Columbia University is a residential university on a 36-acre campus in Manhattan, which means “island of many hills” in the language of the Lenni Lenape people. We recognize that Manhattan is part of the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Lenni Lenape and Wappinger people, who are still active members of our community today.
Columbia has one of the most diverse, talented student bodies in the world, including students from all 50 states and over 100 countries. Over half our students identify as students of color, and 18% are the first in their families to attend college.
It's your ability that matters, not your ability to pay
We’re committed to making a Columbia education affordable for everyone. Awarding over $185 million in financial aid annually, we cover 100% of demonstrated financial need for all first-year and transfer students pursuing their first degree, regardless of citizenship.
Our admission process is need-blind for US citizens, permanent residents, eligible non-citizens, and undocumented students. Our need-based aid comes in the form of grants and work-study only, not loans. The average grant package is $58,558, and nearly 40% of financial aid recipients have a personal or parent contribution under $5,000.
Diverse communities, dynamic experiences
Diversity is part of what makes Columbia University dynamic, as evidenced by our legendary Core Curriculum. With an interdisciplinary series of seminar-style courses taken by students from all majors—including engineers—students make connections across the world of ideas, challenging their thinking and deepening their insights at the same time.
Advisors, faculty, and peers help students embrace academic and personal growth—students take classes with Nobel Laureates and find peer mentorship in identity-based “family trees.” As a citizen of both Columbia and New York, you’ll have the freedom to reach for any goal in a city and community where shaping society and the world happens every day.
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Columbia University is known for strong research and academic programs in sustainability and climate science, with growing campus sustainability initiatives. |
• Student body demographics:
- 50% women
- More than 50% students of color
- 16% Asian/Asian American
- 14% Hispanic or Latino
- 7% Black or African American
- <1% American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander
- 17% international students
- 17% Pell Grant recipients
- 18% first-generation students
• 6:1 student-faculty ratio
• $1 billion in sponsored research annually
• 200+ affiliated research institutes and centers
• Four years of guaranteed on-campus housing
• One of the 10 largest university libraries in the US, with 13 million volumes
• First African American advocacy group on a multiracial campus
• First student gay rights advocacy group on a college campus
• 60 cultural- and identity-based student organizations
“I have found friendship and support from fellow Native students within Native American Council. Regardless of your identity, there’s a community for you on campus.”
“Columbia has phenomenal professors who go out of their way to make themselves available as mentors, share stories about how they entered their field, help you understand the material, and provide recommendations for further learning opportunities."
“Through Columbia's Academic Success and New Student Orientation Programs, I immediately found ‘my people.’ I considered Columbia my second home before my first year even began.”
“Meeting with the Center for Career Education can be great to help you learn how to write a résumé and create a cover letter as well as find jobs, especially on campus that people might not know about."