Columbia University

If you want an Ivy League education in a truly urban setting, be sure to take a look at Columbia. Its location in upper Manhattan places it right in the bustle of New York City. Columbia has extensive graduate programs—of its 22,000 students, over two-thirds are graduate students. Like all the Ivy League schools, Columbia's high level of research and instruction has earned it membership in the Association of American Universities, and its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Explore the Campus

Columbia University Photo Tour

Most Popular Majors:

Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Science, Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Neuroscience, Nursing, Operations Research, Political Science, Psychology

Graduation and Retention Rates:

• First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 97%
• 4-Year Graduation Rate: 85%
• 6-Year Graduation Rate: 93%

Data Source:

Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics

Columbia and the Common Application

Columbia University uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you:

• Common Application essay tips and samples
• Short answer tips and samples
• Supplemental essay tips and samples

Columbia University Mission Statement:

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.