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

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. 

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

Columbia University does not ask for work experience for most of the programs, particularly in

Engineering,

Computer Science,

Applied Science, where they prioritize academic excellence. 

But, there are programs such as Business Analytics, Financial Engineering, or Management Science that mandate submission of relevant experience, internships, or research exposures. In addition, Columbia prefers students who have leadership potential, problem-solving ability, and real-world experiences.

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.

The University of British Columbia is one of the top university globally. As per the employment report released by the School of Business, University of British Columbia, MBA graduates earns an average salary of CAD 98,336 or INR 60.95L, with maximum salary of CAD 1,90,000 or INR 1.17Cr.

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.

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

Times Higher Education (THE) is known for providing rankings to evaluate the university performance on the global level. According to the THE rankings 2025, Columbia University has received a rank of #18. Some of the other university level rankings at Columbia are mentioned below:

Not if you go by their overall university rankings. While both rank in and around the top 10 universities in the US, Harvard (#2) ranks well ahead of Columbia (#11), in national level rankings, given by Shiksha. 

Though Harvard offers more course options, and overall brand recognition, Columbia is considered by many as the better of the two for its Engineering courses, something Harvard is not known for.

Columbia University has been ranked at #11 for its MS courses according to the Shiksha Popularity World Rankings. Some of the other rankings of the MS courses at the university are mentioned below:

Columbia University’s Law course ranks exceptionally well in THE subject rankings. It ranks at the #4 position in 2024. A few of the other courses that rank well are:

Consulting, Investment Management, Real Estate, Private Equity, and Investment Banking are the top 5 best paying industries for MBA graduates at Columbia Uni. Given below is the average salary offered by these industries to students.

1 USD = INR 89.90

The university provides all essential facilities needed to maintain a decent lifestyle to students as part of its residential buildings. Given below is a description of the same:

·      Door Attendant – Full time

·      Laundry in each unit

·      Elevator Building

·      Bike Storage

·      Community Room

·      Playroom

·      Gym

·      Parking

·      Roof Deck

·      Shuttle service to & from the campus

Most of the institute's student body is based in the university-owned housing in Morningside Heights. The residential facilities that consist of shared apartments & dormitory style-rooms are just a walking distance from the university campus.

Students are also housed in Manhattan Valley, just south of Morningside Heights. Additionally, some students are also housed in Riverdale, Bronx, at The Arbor. Shuttle services are available to & from the Arbor.

The university does not maintain off-campus accommodation facilities, however, it does maintain a special Off-Campus Housing Assistance Office (OCHA) that helps students contact room lenders near the university campus & get the best accommodation facilities possible at affordable prices.

Students who are interested to study from institute must follow steps mentioned below to get seat at Columbia SIPA-

• Choose desired program
• Check admission requirements
• Submit all mandatory documentation
• Wait for university's response
• Check the application status regularly
• Accept the offer letter
• Commence your studies in New York

The SIPA recommends the GRE or GMAT, but it is not a mandatory requirement. GRE/GMAT score is a complementary requirement that students can opt to pursue in case they feel they do not have a strong list of quantitative courses/ work experience as the exam scores strengthen the application.

A score above 320 can significantly improve the chances of admission.

Listed below are some of the most notable members of the Columbia SIPA alumni network:

• Radha Kulkarni: Investment Manager, UNICEF
• Frank Reig: Co-founder & CEO of Revel
• Gabriela Rocha: Co-founder & CEO of Laboratoria
• Lingdong Hua: Vice-chair of ISSB
• Katie Napolitano: Co-Founder & Director of Fair Futures

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.