

Columbia University : Fees, Rankings, Courses, Reviews
- Private University
1 Campus
- Estd. 1754
Columbia University Courses
Columbia University Courses includes more than 100 degree programs at the UG as well as PG level across a number of popular streams including: Arts, Business, Engineering, Medicine, Law, and Science among others. Additionally, the Columbia School of Professional Studies offers 18 part-time master's courses and some of them can be pursued online.
Student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia is 6:1, which gives visibility to students and helps connect one-on-one with world-class experienced faculties.
Listed below are some popular undergraduate courses, available to be pursued at Columbia:
- BS in Civil Engineering
- BA in Public Health
- BBA
- BA in Drama & Theatre Arts
- BS in Applied Physics
Listed below are some popular postgraduate courses, that are taught across a number of Columbia schools:
- MS in Computer Science
- MBA
- MS in Data Science
- MA in Business & Economics
- MA in Arts & Culture Concentration
For more courses, feel free to check out the listings below:

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Guided 4.5K students to USA universities.

Guided 4.5K students to USA universities.
Commonly asked questions On Popular Programs
At the Columbia University, international students can choose between more than 100 degree programs on the bachelor's as well as master's levels. According to the historical data of the university's alumni, some of the most popular Columbia University courses are:
Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most popular courses offered by Columbia Uni and students across the globe desire to pursue this course. Mentioned below are some interesting facts of the Columbia University MBA course:
- MBA course stands in the top 10 business schools across the world.
- Median salary of an MBA graduate of Columbia University is USD 175,000 per year.
- Columbia Business School (CBS) is about 12 km from New York City which paves the way for students to have one of the best job opportunities in the world. New York City is known as "door to success"
- Columbia University MBA is in seventh position in Forbes’ list of Best US Business Schools and sixth in US News’ Best Business School (US) list.
- Its core structure consists of two full-term courses and eight half-term courses, forming the foundational experience for its students. This core curriculum is designed to help students with a deep understanding of essential academic disciplines and practical skills for success in the competitive business world.
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.
Columbia University offers highly ranked and top-rated programs. All the programs offered by Columbia University are accredited by the relevant and leading accrediting agencies. Columbia University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is one of six regional education accrediting agencies in the United States. Columbia University has underwent its decimal accreditation during the 2015/16 academic year and then it was re-accredited for 8-10 years.
Columbia University MBA is one of the most pursued courses offered by the university and the Columbia Business School is a part of the top 10 global business schools. Its core structure consists of two full-term courses and eight half-term courses and help students develop a deep understanding of essential academic disciplines and practical skills for success in the competitive business world. For Indian students, the Columbia MBA fees lies in the range of INR 44 L - 76 L. As per the latest reports, the average median salary of a Columbia University MBA graduate of the university is USD 175,000 (INR 1.4 Cr) per year.
Conversion Rate: 1 USD = INR 83.51
ColumbiaColumbia University Scholarships 2025
Columbia University scholarships include need-based financial aid for students on the basis of their financial status mentioned in the application. When submitting their admission application, international applicants need to specify that they intend to apply for financial aid. International students who are admitted without requesting financial aid are not permitted to change their status in order to reapply for aid, even if their financial situation changes. Average disbursement amount for recipients of international financial aid is USD 79,375, which typically includes a student work-study position and an unrepaid Columbia grant. Additionally, many Columbia students, including international students, receive scholarships from outside on a merit basis.
Listed below are some of the top Columbia University scholarships for international students:
To know more about scholarships in the US, check out the video below:
Columbia University Admissions 2025
Columbia is an ideal option for students willing to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees outside of IITs and NITs. Prospective undergraduates can apply to Columbia University either through the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Demonstrated below are the steps to apply at Columbia:
Columbia University Application Deadlines
Here are the Columbia University application deadlines for international students applying for its UG & graduate courses for 2026 entry:
Application Type | Application Deadline |
---|---|
UG Early Decision Deadline | Nov 1, 2025 |
UG Regular Decision Deadline | Jan 1, 2026 |
PG Priority Deadline | Jan 15, 2026 |
PG Regular Deadline | Feb 15, 2026 |
Admission Requirements for International Students
In order to secure enrollment, Indian students must fulfil all the Columbia University admission requirements. It is interesting to note that every applicant has to go through largely identical admissions process at Columbia, regardless of their citizenship or place of residence.
Admission Requirements
Mentioned below are the admission requirements for students looking to secure a seat for UG courses:
- Official high-school transcript
- Minimum 2 Letters of Recommendation signed by teachers
- A School Profile
- Submission of a mandatory application fee of USD 85 (INR 7300)
- SAT or ACT scores (Optional)
- Proof of English Language Proficiency
Columbia University English Language Requirements
The institute also prefers its students to have a decent grasp of verbal & written English, as a result, applicants must satisfy the language test scores mentioned below:
Exam |
Score |
---|---|
105 or higher |
|
7.5 or higher |
|
135 or higher |
|
CAE |
191 |
Note: For postgraduate programs, the minimum English language requirements vary as per the choice of course.
- Application fees :USD 78.9 - 250
- Type of deadline :Depends on course
Type of documents | Applicable for |
---|---|
SOP | Needed for few courses |
LOR | Needed for few courses |
Essays | Needed for few courses |
CV | Needed for few courses |
Additional documents | Required |
Commonly asked questions On Admissions
As per the latest enrollment data (2024-25) made available by the institute, Columbia recieved over 60,000 applications for admissions across its courses, of which only 2,218 applications were deemed acceptable to the university's standards.
Thus, the Columbia University acceptance rate for the 24/25 academic session, stood at: 3.6%
Those interested in admissions to the upcoming academic session, must maintain solid professional resumes & satisfy the institute's admission requirements to have the best possible chance.
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.
ColumbiaStudents Ratings & Reviews
- Multi-dimensional
- Friendly
- Academically oriented
- 50% students never faced discrimination in this university
Columbia University Placements
Columbia University Placements rate for MBA graduates stands at 86.4%, with 89% of the Class of 2024 MBA graduates receiving job offers within the first 3 months of graduation. The median salary earned by MBA graduates stood at USD 175,000 (INR 1.50 Cr), along with a average signing bonus worth USD 30,000 (INR 25.8 L), as per data curated from official sources.
The table below gives a detailed breakdown of the key facts & figures associated with placements at Columbia:
Compensation Type | Receiving | Median | High |
---|---|---|---|
Base Salary | 100% | USD 175,000 (INR 1.5 Cr) | USD 370,000 (INR 3.18 Cr) |
Signing Bonus | 71.3% | USD 30,000 (INR 25.8 L) | USD 151,000 (INR 1.29 Cr) |
Other Guaranteed Compensation | 12.3% | USD 21,185 (INR 18.23 L) | USD 225,000 (INR 1.93 Cr) |
1 USD = INR 86.06
Columbia graduates are known for possessing in-depth knowledge of their respective areas of studies & as a result are paid well for their contributions to respective industries.
Given below is a median salary-wise breakdown of the best paying industries:
Industry | Median Salary |
---|---|
Consulting | USD 188,000 (INR 1.6 Cr) |
Investment Banking | USD 175,000 (INR 1.5 Cr) |
Private Equity | USD 165,000 (INR 1.41 Cr) |
Hardware/Software/Telecom | USD 163,000 (INR 1.4 Cr) |
Investment Management | USD 160,000 (INR 1.37 Cr) |
Internet Services/E-Commerce | USD 157,050 (INR 1.35 Cr) |
Consumer Finance & Analytics |
USD 150,000 (INR 1.29 Cr) |
To know more about MBA placements at Columbia, get your FREE PDF: Columbia University Placement Report
Top Recruiters
Commonly asked questions On Placements
Yes, both tech giants Google & Amazon, are among the top recruiters of MBA grads from Columbia University. However, these are not the only top companies queuing up to recruit Columbia graduates.
The likes of JP Morgan Chase & Co, Deloitte, American Express, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Barclays are some other notable names in the industry, well known for hiring Columbia passouts.
Columbia MBA graduates are paid very well for their contributions, with the average salary figure for Class of 2024 MBA graduates standing at USD 175,000 (INR 1.5 Cr), per data curated from official sources.
This is not it, around 70% of the graduates, also received a signing bonus worth USD 30,000 (INR 25.8 L), while 12.3% of the MBA graduates were also on the receiving end of additional guaranteed compensation worth USD 225,000 (INR 1.93 Cr).
1 USD = INR 86.06
The Columbia University placement rate for the Class of 2024 stood at 86.4%, with around 89% of the institute's MBA graduates receiving job offers within the first 3 months of graduation.
Moreover, the Columbia MBA graduates were placed across the globe including the US, Asia, Europe, Middle East & Central & South America.
Given below is a detailed breakdown of the countries employing Columbia MBA graduates:
Country | Percentage of Graduates Employed |
---|---|
United States | 79% |
Asia | 9% |
Europe | 5% |
Central & South America | 4% |
Africa & Middle East | 3% |
Other | 0.3% |
The Columbia University the highest base package is around USD 370,000 (INR 3.18 Cr.) earned by a MBA grad employed in Consulting.
Another graduate, employed in Private Equity, secured a packagae worth USD 350,000 (INR 3.01 Cr).
Students get a median salary of around USD 188,000 (INR 1.61 Cr) in the Consulting industry.
Mentioned below are the highlights of Columbia University MBA Placements by Industry:
Industries | Median Salary |
---|---|
Consulting | USD 188,000 (INR 1.6 Cr) |
Financial services | USD 120,000-USD 175,000 (INR 1.03 Cr-INR 1.5 Cr) |
Manufacturing | USD 140,000 (INR 1.2 Cr) |
Media/Technology | USD 140,000 (INR 1.2 Cr) |
Others | USD 140,000 (INR 1.2 Cr) |
Columbia University is one of the finest universities in the United States of America for continuing higher education. The University offers a variety of programs for its international and domestic students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The University graduates work for top-notch companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Chief, YPO, etc. Columbia University graduates are in high demand worldwide. Columbia University graduates work in top sectors that are listed below:
- Business Development
- Operations
- Education
- Engineering
- Research
- Media and Communication
- Finance
- Community and Social Services
- Information Technology
- Consulting
- Marketing
- Sales
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resources
- Product Management
Columbia University Ranking 2025
Columbia University ranks #9 in the United States & #15 globally as part of the latest Shiksha Popularity Rankings. The institute is considered one of the best higher educational institutions in the world, & is also part of the prestigious Ivy League.
Further, some of its popular courses, also rank highly as part of course-specific rankings given by Shiksha, given below is a detailed description of the same:
Course | Shiksha Popularity Rankings |
---|---|
MS | #11 |
MBA/PGDM | #10 |
BE/BTech | #25 |
MArch | #4 |
MSN | #6 |
LLM | #6 |
MA | #6 |
MIM | #7 |
Others PG | #7 |
#15
#9
Commonly asked questions On Rankings
Columbia University ranks #15 among all colleges & universities in the United States, as per the latest global university rankings rolled out by Shiksha.
The institute is also a part of the prestigious group of Ivy League Schools that are known for being the best higher educational institutes in the United States.
Further, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranks Columbia #34 as part of its variation of the World University Rankings 2025, again cementing its status as one of the best universities in the world.
Yes, Columbia University is an Ivy League University among the other 7 top universities which were introduced as a group of 8 in terms of tough athletic competition among them. Other members of the Ivy League universities include Brown University, Cornell University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. The term Ivy League is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools as a group of elite colleges with connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism. It is not easy to get into Ivy League schools as their acceptance rate is very low.
Columbia is considered among the world's most important research centers. It is among a select group of R1 institutions in the US. R1 institutions are known for their very high research activity.
The university's scientists have been credited with about 175 new inventions in health Science each year & over 30 pharmaceutical products based on research conducted by Columbia researchers have reached the market.
Some notable works in the market include: Xalatan, Remixade, Reopro, Benefix, Latanoprost & Zolinza.
Columbia University is one of the finest institutions of higher education in the United States of America. Its campus offers a very diverse and culturally vibrant environment for international students. As of Fall 2022 international student population at Columbia University is over 19,000+ students from 152 countries around the world. India is the second top country by enrollment at Columbia University.
Columbia University is part of an illustrious group of Ivy League institutions that are considered the trend-setters of the modern day education system in the United States.
A prominent university ranking platform also ranks it among the top 4 national universities in the United States.
The institute also ranks among the top 10 universities in the US, securing a country-level rank #9 as per the latest Shiksha Popularity Rankings.
ColumbiaStudent profile
Others
58%
Asian
18%
Hispanic
15%
Black
7%
Out of state
63%
In state
19%
Foreign
16%
UG Number of Applicant
Overall Graduation Rate
Study in USA
Key Facts About USA
Insights on education, demographics & weather.Commonly asked questions On Study in Country
USA offers three types of visas to students; F-1, J-1 and M-1. So, the cost of a student visa will depend on the type of visa you are applying for. US visa cost for a F-1 student visa is USD 185. F-1 visa is for international students who are applying for a course in any American university that requires more than 18 hours of study in a week. J-1 student visa is for exchange students, and M-1 student visa is for students enrolled in vocational and non-academic programs.
USA is one of the most popular countries for study abroad options for international students and is a hub of globally renowned universities. According to the World University Rankings 2025, some top universities in USA are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, and many more.
Given below is the list of top Universities in USA as mentioned in the prominent rankings.
University | Shiksha Rankings 2025 |
---|---|
#1 | |
#2 | |
#3 | |
#4 | |
#5 | |
#6 | |
#7 | |
#8 | |
#9 | |
#10 |
Opting to study abroad is a major step that students take for their career and managing the expenses (including the tuition fee and living costs) play a deciding factor in this decision. Here is where scholarships dive in and help students study in their dream college by cutting down a portion of their expenses. Here are some scholarships offered by the top universities in USA that are available for international students:
Columbia FAQs
Founded as a King's College for males, Columbia University was established by a royal charter issued by Great Britain’s King George II in 1754. Due to the American Revolution the university had to go through am eight-year long hiatus period. Once resumed, in 1784 the institution was renamed Columbia College as a form of patriotic reference to explorer Christopher Columbus. Columbia University acquired its now known name 112 years post this incident.
While applying for Columbia University admissions, all international students are required to pay the Columbia University application fee. For Indian students, the payable amount is USD 85 (INR 7 K). International students must note that this fee non-refundable fee and the university will not refund it under any circumstances. However, applicants may qualify for a fee waiver at the time of application.
Conversion Rate: 1 USD = INR 83.31
Columbia is known for its academic rigor & providing a world class learning environment that also focuses on the overall development of students & not just the academic part.
The campus offers a number of extra-curricular facilities including a world class athletics program, 24x7 dining facilities, state-of-the-art arts facilities including dance halls & museums.
It's world class faculty is also very helpful & ever present to impart their knowledge.
Columbia is considered among the world's most important research centers. It is among a select group of R1 institutions in the US. R1 institutions are known for their very high research activity.
The university's scientists have been credited with about 175 new inventions in health Science each year & over 30 pharmaceutical products based on research conducted by Columbia researchers have reached the market.
Some notable works in the market include: Xalatan, Remixade, Reopro, Benefix, Latanoprost & Zolinza.
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.
Columbia
Student Forum
Answered 2 days ago
Placement after B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at Lovely Professional University (LPU) is considered one of the strongest among its academic programs. The university has built a solid reputation for attracting top-tier recruiters, both national and international, offering excellent
Answered 2 weeks ago
I would like to tell you that there is a mandatory entrane test for taking admisson in B.A. LL.B course at Chandigarh University. The Chandigarh University has a CUCET entrance test which is mandatoy for law programs and yes everyone can give it.
CUCET also helps in scholarships, the university give
G
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 weeks ago
Hi, As far as I know, the fees of B.A. in psychology in Chandigarh University is not very much,it's just 64000/- INR per semester and examination fees is Rs. 2500 and security fees is Rs. 2000, let me tell you the fees at Chandigarh University is very less as compared to other universities.
Moreover,
G
Beginner-Level 5
Answered Yesterday
The total cost to attend an undergraduate course at Columbia can cost between INR 68 L and INR 83 L. The total expense includes tuition cost, hostel, insurance, and other miscellaneous expenses. Students must make a high budget if considering Columbia for UG and PG education. The estimated cost of l
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a month ago
Shiksha has ranked Columbia University for some of its top courses such as Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Business and Management, Supply Chain and Management, Engineering, etc. Some of the subject rankings at the university are given in the table below:
Course Name | Shiksha Popularity Ranking | US News Ranking |
---|---|---|
MS | #11 | #7 |
MBA/PGDM | #10 | #4 |
Supply Chain | #27 | #21 |
BE/BTech | #25 | #13 |
Computer Science Engineering | #17 | #19 |
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