Columbia University: Rankings, Cost, Programs, Placements

Columbia University is among the top universities for higher education in the United States. The University has produced more than 375,000 alumni members worldwide. The University graduates are working for top sectors such as Business Development, Education, Engineering, Research, Finance, Information Technology, and more. Also, the graduates are highly skilled in Leadership, Public Speaking, Project Management, Management, Marketing, Business Strategy, and others. Some famous personalities that are part of the Columbia University alumni network include:

• Barack Obama
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Timothee Chalamet
• Alexander Hamilton
• Warren Buffett
• Theodore Roosevelt
• James Franco
• Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
• Katie Holmes
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Casey Affleck
• Alicia Keys
• Joseph Gordon Levitt
• Leonard Cohen

Columbia University is among the top choices of international students for pursuing higher education in the United States. Each year thousands of international students apply to the university. The University is known for offering the best academic programs for its international students. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is one of the notable Indian alumni of Columbia University. Moreover, the alumni are highly skilled in Project Management, Social Media, Strategic Planning, Business Strategy, and more.

Columbia University has a rich alumni network all over the world. The University has more than 375,000 alumni network who are working worldwide. The University alumni network includes various famous personalities, entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders, etc. The University graduates also work in top companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta, JP Morgan Chase, and Microsoft. Moreover, the graduates work in leading sectors such as Business Development, Engineering, Finance, Information Technology, etc.

Columbia University operates on three beautiful and vibrant campuses, namely: CU Irving Medical Center, Manhattanville Campus, and Morningside Heights.

Morningside Heights is considered among the safest neighbourhoods in New York City.

All Columbia owned buildings in the area are operated & managed by university employees & the institute takes extra measures to provide a safe & supportive residential environment for all members of the community.

Columbia's Department of Public Safety oversees all security & safety procedures, while the Morningside Area Alliance also provides security patrols. 

Evening & Night shuttles are available during evenings & nights throughout the neighbourhood to Columbia students over the academic year.

Columbia is home to around 7,200 faculty members in teaching & research as part of its university faculty network.

Of these, 2,741 are full-time members, giving it a full-time faculty rate of around 38%. The rest of the faculty are employed part-time.

The university faculty impart their knowledge across several prominent sectors including: Business, Engineering, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education & Health among others.

Amartya Sen, known for his contributions to the welfare economics & social choice theory is a notable economist who received a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 for his work at Columbia University.

During his tenure at Columbia, he gave some theories on important topics such as poverty, development & famine that had a significant impact on economic policies globally.

Ruth Benedict, was the first female woman professor at Columbia University. She was an assistant professor in anthropology who then get promoted in 1931 to the role of senior professor, creating history as the first tenured faculty member at the institution.

The institute was founded in 1754 under the name “King's College” by George II, on the lands of the trinity church in Manhattan. It shifted its base to 49^th street & Madison Avenue in 1857 before moving to Morningside Heights in 1897.

The institute got renamed as Columbia University in 1912.

Columbia is considered among the most prestigious institutions in the United States.

Given below are some fun-facts about the university:

·      It was the first US institution to be granted an M.D. degree

·      The famous Pulitzer Prize awarded for outstanding work in journalism, literature & music is administered annually by the university

·      The university has the second most number of Nobel Prize winners (103), only behind Harvard (161)

·      The institute didn't admit women until the year 1983

·      Its athletics program is the largest sports program in New York City & among all institutions in the NCAA Division I

Yes, Columbia University is known to offer athletic scholarships for a number of sports including American Football.

The scholarships are given on the basis of need & overall performance of a student & are available for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NAIA & NJCAA.

As per data curated from unofficial sources, 34% athletes at the university are awarded scholarships.

The significance of being a Division 1 athlete is it comes with better tuition benefits & a higher level of competition as compared to the lower divisions. The chances of D1 athletes becoming professional players is also much higher as a bigger number of scouts watch these games.

The lower division athletes, however, do have more flexibility when it comes to time & pursuing other extracurricular activities.

The Columbia University's intercollegiate athletics team is known as the Columbia University Lions. The current director of the Columbia University Lions is Peter Pilling.

The Lions compete across a number of sports including basketball as part of the Ivy League championships & the NCAA Division I Championships.

As per data curated from unofficial sources, around 10% of the overall student population at Columbia University are competing as athletes professionally.

Dartmouth College has a greater number of students playing professionally with around 21% doing so.

The Columbia University student life is described as inclusive & vibrant that foster innovation & brilliance as per reviews posted by students on Shiksha Study Abroad.

The faculty is described by students as amazing & one that possesses great knowledge of their respective fields.

The campus offers a number of recreational opportunities to students. However, some students have some discontent over the number of internship fairs conducted by the university over the academic year & feel that can be improved on.

The overall student population is very diverse with students coming from very different backgrounds from across the globe to pursue higher studies. However, as per student reviews posted on an unofficial platform, finding like-minded students who share your interests is not difficult at all.

Most students belonging to the Indian community live nearby each other & seniors are said to be helpful & always ready to help.

Applicants with a GPA of 3.5 may still be considered for admission to Columbia University. While GPA between 3.9 and 4.0 is ideal, having a slightly lower GPA doesn’t necessarily disqualify any applicant. However, it's essential to compensate with outstanding achievements in other areas of your application, such as extracurricular activities, LORs, SOP and many more. Hence the university doesn’t just see scores but also sees an overall performance of the applicant.

Columbia University accepts admission of international students in three intakes such as Fall, Spring, and Summer intake. Columbia University acceptance rate stands at 3.6%, which indicates that the university is extremely selective. The University takes admission on rolling basis for international students. The University provides various programs at UG and PG levels for its international students. International students who are applying for undergraduate programme at Columbia University can apply through Common Application. Whereas, international students who are applying for postgraduate programs can apply through the University Official Portal at Columbia University. Columbia University application fee for international students is USD 85 (INR 7,296), which is non-refundable.

Conversion used is USD 1 - INR 85.83

International students seeking admission to Columbia University are required to meet both the course-specific and general admission requirements. International students are advised to check for the course-specific requirements before applying. Listed below are the general Columbia University admission requirements for international students:

• Application form;
• Official academic transcripts (English translation);
• Resume;
• Interview;
• Essays;
• Letter of recommendations (LOR);
• GRE/GMAT scores; and
• SAT/ACT scores.

As per the ratio of admissions to applications, the Columbia University acceptance rate stands at 3.6%. It is extremely difficult to get into Columbia University as it has a very low acceptance rate. Columbia University is one of the most sought-after universities in the world. Students from across the United States and around the world apply at Columbia University each year. In order to secure an admission in the university, students must fulfill all the Columbia University admission requirements.

Columbia University accepts admissions for international students in three intakes namely Fall, Spring, and Summer. Additionally, the university accepts admission at rolling basis. International students applying for undergraduate programs can apply through Common Application or Coalition Application. However, application process for graduates varies as per the academic school of choice. Columbia University typically takes 6 to 8 weeks after receiving the application with all the essential documents. However, the programme and the type of application can affect how long it takes to hear back from Columbia.

Below is the application process for Columbia University for international students:

The following are the three ways an applicant can apply through: 

• The Coalition Application 

• The Common Application 

• The QuestBridge Application 

. Step 1: The Application Process can be made through the Common Application or the above 

Step 2: Check your requirements thoroughly, and see if your current qualifications are recognised. 

Step 3: You should meet the entry requirements checklist before applying: 

• ACT and SAT scores 

• Transcripts of your high school

• Must meet the English requirements 

• Two letters of recommendations

• SOP

• USD 85 application fee 

Step 4: Make sure your English requirements meet the standard of the University.

Step 5: You can submit your application after your requirements are ready.

Step 6: The applicant must pay the application fee of USD 85, which will not be refundable. However, if the applicant can’t afford it, they have a process to waive it. ( Check out how you can waive application fees)

Step 7: you can check out their official portal/applicant might get an official mail if they are selected ( However, to check your application status, it is suggested to check out their portal.) 

Postgraduate Application Process: 

Step 1: Identify your course. The application can be made through the official Columbia University portal.

Step 2: Check your requirements thoroughly and see if your current qualifications are recognised.

Step 3: Applicants must meet the entry requirements checklist below before applying to the university: 

• Transcripts of your high school

• Must meet the English requirements 

• Three letters of recommendations

• SOP

• Resume/CV

• Some programs might have additional requirements, depending on the course. 

Step 4: Make sure your English requirements meet the standard of the University.

Step 5: You can submit your application after your requirements are ready.

Step 6: The applicant must pay the application fee of USD 120, which will not be refundable. However, if the applicant can’t afford it, they have a process to waive it. ( Check out how you can waive application fees)

Step 7: you can check out their official portal/applicant might get an official mail if they are selected ( However, to check your application status, it is suggested to check out their portal) 

Yes, it is hard to get admission into the Columbia MBA programme because of the high competition. The Columbia University acceptance rate for the MBA programme is around 22%. For the class of 2022, the Columbia Business School receive 6177 applications out of which 1363 are admitted to the Columbia MBA program. International students require a good GPA and academic profile to get into the university Students can know more about MBA in the USA and then apply. Applicants must have a good portfolio and perform well in academics to get into the university.