Columbia University

Summary

Columbia University is a private institution that was founded in 1754. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,170, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 36 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Columbia University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 4. Its tuition and fees are $51,008 (2014-15).

Columbia University, located in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood in New York City, offers a wide range of student activities. The Columbia Lions field more than 25 NCAA Division I teams in the Ivy League. More than 90 percent of students live in on-campus housing, ranging from traditional residence halls to university-owned brownstones. Many of the brownstones are populated by the more than 25 Greek fraternity and sorority chapters on campus, whose membership includes about 10 percent of the student body. Organizations such as Urban New York, which gives out free tickets to city events, foster student interaction with life in the Big Apple.

Columbia is comprised of three undergraduate schools—Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the School of General Studies—as well as a number of graduate and professional schools. Columbia’s graduate programs include the highly ranked Business School, Teachers College, SEAS, Law School, College of Physicians and Surgeons,School of International and Public Affairs, School of the Arts andMailman School of Public Health. The university also has a well-regarded College of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Journalism. Columbia is affiliated with Barnard College for women, the Union Theological Seminary and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Distinguished alumni include John Jay, founding father and first Supreme Court Justice; President Barack Obama; songwriting team Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II; and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. Columbia also administers the Pulitzer Prizes.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Founded in 1754, Columbia University in the City of New York encompasses more than a dozen graduate and professional schools and the over 6,000 undergraduates... Read More

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1754
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	urban
2014 Endowment	$9,223,047,000

Applying

When applying to Columbia University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 1. The application fee at Columbia University is $85. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 7 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2014 acceptance rate	7%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	February 1

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Columbia University is 6:1, and the school has 82.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Columbia University include: Engineering; Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 99 percent.