Top 10 Columbia University Notable Alumni

From leading business tycoons to four US Presidents, actors, authors, social workers and philanthropists, you will find them all under one roof as Columbia University's notable alumni. With a 350,000+ Columbia University alum network, this Ivy League is the most popular student destination. Check out the top 10 Columbia University notable alums in this article. 

Columbia University is a leading university in the USA and ranks among the top 100 universities globally. Columbia is one of the hardest universities in USA to get into, yet thousands of applicants apply for admission at Columbia annually. Regarding Columbia University alumni, there are over three million and still counting. Famous Columbia University alumni have left a mark on the world through their works, contributions and key achievements. This article discusses some of the notable alumni of Columbia University. 

List of Top 10 Columbia University Alumni

Here is a list of the top 10 Columbia University notable alumni who are popular and have gained immense popularity over time by graduating from this most popular and renowned Ivy League are as follows:  

1. Warren Buffet
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. Isaac Asimov
4. Barack Obama
5. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
6. James P. Gorman
7. Lynn Martin
8. Ursula Kroeber Le Guin
9. Julia Stiles
10. Alan Wagner

These are the top 10 notable alums of Columbia University. Let us discuss them and their key achievements in the section below. 

Top 10 Columbia University Notable Alumni

To dive deeper, let us understand the prominent Columbia University notable alumni and how they have left a mark on the world with their key contributions:

1. Warren Edward Buffet

Warren Edward Buffet, or Warren Buffet, is a Columbia University distinguished alumnus, a renowned billionaire, American business magnate, philanthropist and investor. Buffet is the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, an MNC based in Omaha. As of February 17, 2025, Forbes approximated that Warren Buffet's net worth is approximately USD 149.6 billion, one of the world's top 10 wealthiest men. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1951 and his MS in Economics from Columbia Business School in 1951, a popular Columbia University course. As a philanthropist, he has committed to giving away 99% of his wealth to charitable efforts, largely via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He co-founded The Giving Pledge in 2010, inviting billionaires to pledge at least half their assets to philanthropy. Buffett is a distinguished alumnus of Columbia University. 

2. Franklin D Roosevelt

The next Columbia University notable alumni is USA's 32nd President - Franklin D Roosevelt or, commonly referred to as FDR. FDR is a famous Columbia University alumni because he was the most extended serving President of the USA, got elected for four long terms, and was known for creating policies to deal with the Great Depression and unemployment. What made him a Columbia University notable alumni was his contributions by creating major regulatory reforms that were essential to cater to finance, communications, and labour to ease the issues of grave concern then. Though he dropped out of Columbia's Law School in 1904, Columbia awarded FDR with a Juris Doctor degree in 2008 after his death. 

3. Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov is also a Columbia University graduate and a notable alumnus. Asimov was Russian by birth and, by naturalization, became an American national. Isaac Asimov is known for his works in science fiction, and some of his popular works include the Foundation series, which was initially a short storybook. Still later, it was compiled into three books: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953). The Foundation series was awarded the Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. In his robot series, Asimov wrote I, Robot (1950), a genre classic. Asimov penned science books outside of science fiction, explaining complex topics to a general audience. His nonfiction titles ranged from chemistry and physics to history and the Bible. Isaac Asimov was also a distinguished alumnus of Columbia University. 

4. Barack Obama

Another American president featured on the Columbia University list of distinguished alumni is Barack Obama. Obama served as the 44th US president from 2009 to 2017 and was the first African-American-origin US President. Obama graduated with a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and a law degree from Harvard and is also a renowned Harvard University alumnus. His tenure earned him popularity because he saw the main policies he implemented transform healthcare reform, induce financial regulation, and modernize foreign policy initiatives. Obama's election and presidency were major milestones in United States history that showed the United States' changing racial attitudes and tolerance toward diversity. 

5. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

Another US President who is a Columbia University alumni and also a Harvard University alumnus is Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the 26th President of the USA and served between 1901-1909. To date, Theodore is the youngest US President who has assumed office as a 42-year-old. He was also the 25th Vice President of the US and 33rd Governor of New York for two years. Theodore conserved the USA's natural reserves during his tenure and expanded the naval base. He also sent them on a world tour to show the USA's power. Thus, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. is considered as a Columbia University notable alumni and quite a powerful one. 

6. James P. Gorman

James P. Gorman is also a Columbia University notable alumni and was a former CEO and Chairman of Morgan Stanley. Previously, he was the Executive Chairman of Morgan & Stanley till December 2024. Also, Gorman joined The Walt Disney Company as a board director in February 2024, contributing to CEO succession planning. He was named Chairman of the Board in October 2024, effective January 2, 2025. Apart from these roles, Gorman was a Director of the Council on Foreign Relations, Co-Chair of the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School, and a Trustee of Columbia University.

7. Lynn Martin

Lynn Martin is an American markets executive, computer programmer, and Columbia University notable alumni. She is the 68th New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) President as of January 3, 2022. Martin started her career in finance in 2001 at the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange. Martin has led ICE's fixed-income and data services since the acquisition of Interactive Data by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in 2015. Her appointment as President of NYSE was made in December 2021, replacing Stacey Cunningham. Martin was ranked 45th on Forbes' "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list and 56th on Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" list in 2023. She is also a trustee at Manhattan College and a Partnership for New York City board of directors member.

8. Ursula Kroeber Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was a Columbia University notable alumni and a renowned American writer of the Science fiction genre. Ursula has authored over 100+ short stories and 20 novels, and her literary criticism and translations. She has also written some children's stories over her 60 years of literary career. Ursula is known for her works like Left Hand of Darkness and A Wizard of the Earthsea. Her novel Left Hand of Darkness garnered immense praise and was awarded the Nebula and Hugo awards for the best book. She is till date a celebrated American author and a notable Columbia University alumni. 

9. Julia Stiles

Another well-known and celebrated Columbia University notable alumni is Julia Stiles. Julia Stiles is an American actress who started acting at 11 years old with New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. She began her career at age 15 with a role in "I Love You, I Love You Not" (1996) and went on to take the lead role in "Wicked" (1998), for which she won the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Award for Best Actress. Stiles came to prominence with significant roles in teen movies like "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999), "Down to You" (2000), and "Save the Last Dance" (2001). Her awards include a Teen Choice, MTV Movie Awards, Golden Globe, and Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

10. Alan Wagner

The final Columbia University notable alumni on the list is Alan Wagner. Alan Wagner was a prominent figure in American opera and television and served in executive positions for CBS and Disney Channel while also being involved in opera education and criticism. Some of his most important works include hosting Living Opera on WNYC from 1957 to 1968 and presenting opera recordings and interviews. He also worked as a commentator for NYC Opera and Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. Plus, he extensively wrote for Opera News and other publications and published his first article in 1958. Finally, he authored Prima Donnas and Other Wild Beasts (1961), a book of backstage opera anecdotes.

This was all about Columbia University notable alumni. There may be many others, but they are prominent figures in their work areas. Applicants who wish to take admission to Columbia University, can sign up for free Shiksha Abroad Counselling and request a callback from our team of expert counsellors. Or write to us in the comments below.