Columbia University Courses 2026: Popular UG, PG, & Certificate Courses

Undergraduate students at Columbia University have access to five residential halls, namely Carman Hall, Furnald Hall, Hartley Hall, John Jay Hall, and Wallach Hall. International students at Columbia University are provided with four years of undergraduate housing. Currently, about 90% of students opt to live on campus. Some of the on-campus features include dining halls, hangouts, late-night spots, and campus cafés.

Given below is the breakdown of the expenses of attending the Columbia University:

Conversion Rate: 1 USD = INR 83.96

Below is the cost of living at Columbia University. However, the cost of living might vary as it totally depends on the individual and their spending. However, check out the below table: 

1st year tuition fees

Other expenses in 1st Year

Calculated at the exchange rate of 1 USD = INR 82.94

As an Indian student, it's not easy to get into either. Your chances of admission at admission stand at 4.94% at Columbia. If you think this is low, Harvard accepted its Class of 2028 at a rate of 3.6%. This means Harvard asks you to put in that extra effort.

New York University and Columbia University are one of the best universitues in the world. The universitys are the bets in the city of New York. However, while they share a great reputation, there are subtle differences between the two universities. The below table compares the rankings, fees and acceptance rate of NYU and Columbia. Overall this information could be useful for students who are considering them.

Here is the comparison highlighting the differences between the Universities:

(The comparison of fees was between the BTech course for UG and the MBA course for PG)

As an Indian student, 3.0 is generally considered the bare minimum if you want to study at Columbia Uni. For Engineering, a minimum 3.3 in your past academics is needed. Make sure to maintain a good profile non-academically as well. 

Columbia University does not discriminate between domestic and international students. At the university, scholarship application process is the same for all students, regardless of their citizenship or country of residence. International students are advised to check the application instruction for more information on the procedure and requirements for scholarships.

The highest salary earned by graduates of the Columbia Uni USA is USD 450,000 (INR 4.1 Cr) in the Real Estate industry. This is three times the average salary package students got offered in the Real Estate industry. The average package for students in Real Estate was USD 150,000 (INR 1.34 Cr) for the MBA Class of 2025.

1 USD = INR 89.90

In the world rankings, Columbia University rank is #34 in the QS World University rankings. In 2024 the university ranks at #23 position. In Times Higher Education rankings the university ranks at #18 position in 2025. In 2024 THE rankings the university was placed at 17 position. Though in both the world rankings, the university’s rank has declined in 2025 rankings it has still managed to stay in the Top 50 Universities in the world.

Columbia University does not set any minimum eligible scores for international students who want to join the MS programs. But, it is needed for the students to make sure to score above 320 on the GRE and over 700 on GMAT for successful admission.

Also, students who scored nicely and performed well academically and were involved in relevant internships may get some sort of relief in standardized test scores. 

With 4% acceptance rate, Columbia University offers tough admission to international students. To improve the chances of selection, students must take care of a few things that can also help to build a strong profile. Students can check the mandatory things below to improve their selection probability:

• Aim for high academic scores, including CGPA, GRE/GMAT, and English language proficiency, and more.
• Submit a well-written Statement of Purpose that includes all the goals and achievements.
• Ask professors to provide a letter of recommendation who know the students' abilities.
• Involved in leadership roles, gained relevant experience, international conference, and more to display the ability.

Yes, Columbia Business School provides scholarships. In fact, the CBS is well renowned for the having one of the largest scholarship funds. There is no need to apply for the scholarships separately, it is integrated in the CBS application process. Below mentioned are the scholarships provided to MBA students:

According to the FT rankings published recently in 2025, Columbia Business School ranks #2 among the best b-schools offering an MBA program. CBS is ranked 8^th in the world for its MBA programs in the 2025 QS Global MBA rankings, with an overall score of 96.9 out of 100, based on factors like, placement rates, faculty, curriculum etc. Based on the rankings published by US World and News 2024, CBS ranks #12 out of the best 124 B-Schools in the world. 

Columbia SIPA offers a 21-month long Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme to its domestic & international students. The tuition cost of the programme is around USD 71,368 (INR 61.1 L). 

Students must also plan to incur some other additional costs over the duration of stay in New York City such as accommodation costs, food, utilities, travel costs, personal expenses, etc.

International students need min. GPA of 3.0 to get admission to university's courses.

Other than GPA, students must also fulfil other admission requirement which are-language proficiency scores and submission of required documents for proof of identity.

According to latest employment data of total members of Class of 2024, percentage of students to get employment or looking at pursuing higher studies is around 87.4%. University's status is one of best employing institutions in the US & worldwide.

Columbia has a rich history of providing industry ready individuals with a willingness & capabilities to make significant contribution to the public sector & bring about a positive change in the overall global society.

Listed below are some of the institute's top recruiters:

• US Department of State
• Amazon
• United Nations
• Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• USAID

Median salary of Columbia SIPA graduates varies with different industries they are employed in. Figure for those employed in Private sector is USD 102,000 (INR 91.27 L), for Non Profit sector employees is USD 82,000 (INR 73.37 L), while that of Public sector employees is USD 73,000 (INR 65.32 L). 

Conversion rate: 1 USD = INR 89.48

The Columbia School of International & Public Affairs is known for offering a range of PG programs focusing on public policy to its domestic & international student body.

Listed below are some of the prominent courses offered by the institute:

·      MPA in Environmental Science & Policy

·      MPA in Global Leadership

·      Executive MPA

·      MPA in Development Practice

·      MPA in Economic Policy Management

Columbia SIPA was founded in 1946 in the aftermath of World War 2, with the mission to foster understanding of vital geographic regions & prepare diplomas, officials & other professionals to meet the complex needs of the post-war world.

The school expanded over the 1950s & 60s & moved to the Columbia University's east campus in 1971. It was renamed to School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) in 1981.