,·Private Research University·Est. 1754
“An Ivy League institution at the heart of New York City, known for its Core Curriculum and global intellectual tradition.”
Columbia University, founded in 1754 as King's College, is one of America's oldest and most distinguished universities. Situated in Morningside Heights in Manhattan, Columbia offers students an unparalleled urban campus experience combined with the resources of a world-class research institution. At the heart of a Columbia education is the Core Curriculum, a set of common courses in Western literature, philosophy, music, and art that every Columbia College student takes — fostering a shared intellectual culture across every graduating class. This rigorous foundation distinguishes Columbia graduates as broadly educated thinkers capable of engaging across disciplines. Columbia's location in New York City is not incidental — it is central to the university's identity. Students have direct access to Wall Street, the United Nations, Broadway, world-class hospitals, and the most dynamic media, technology, and arts ecosystems in the world. Columbia alumni lead organizations across every sector globally. The university is also home to the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of General Studies, Barnard College (a coordinate college), and eleven graduate and professional schools including Columbia Law School, Columbia Business School, and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
QS World University Rankings
QS 2026
Times Higher Education World Rankings
THE 2025
Academic Ranking of World Universities
ARWU (Shanghai) 2025
Forbes America's Top Colleges
Forbes 2025
Political Science
US News 2026
Journalism
US News 2026
Law
US News 2026
Engineering
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Decision
Binding — decisions mid-December
Regular Decision
Decisions late March / Ivy Day
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$91,392
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
The undergraduate liberal arts college offering the A.B. degree. Home to the famous Core Curriculum — Literature Humanities, Contemporary Civilization, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, and Frontiers of Science.
Offers B.S. degrees across engineering disciplines with strong ties to Columbia's research centers and New York City's tech ecosystem.
Offers undergraduate degrees to non-traditional students including career changers, veterans, and transfer students — with the same Columbia degree as Columbia College.
4 years
Columbia College's century-old required sequence of small discussion seminars — Literature Humanities, Contemporary Civilization, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, University Writing, Frontiers of Science, Global Core, foreign language. The defining shared intellectual experience of every Columbia College undergraduate.
4 years
Top-ranked programs in Computer Science, Operations Research, Financial Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, with direct access to Wall Street, NYC tech, and Columbia's medical campus. SEAS students also take ~half of the Core.
4 years
Two of Columbia's largest and most prestigious majors; Econ benefits from faculty at the top of international economics and Political Science is tied to SIPA, the UN, and leading think tanks.
5 years
Three years at a partner liberal-arts college followed by two at Columbia Engineering; graduates earn two bachelor's degrees — an A.B. and a B.S. in engineering.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $71,845
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
