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)

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 country, Harvard (#2) ranks well ahead of Columbia (#10), 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:

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.

Columbia Business School offers programs across diverse areas such as MBA, MBA Dual degree, EMBA, MS, Undergraduate etc. Unlike most B-Schools in the US, Columbia offers an accelerated MBA which can be completed in 16 months.

The entire students experience stays the same; the curriculum, the faculty, and same highly selective standards. The only difference is that these accelerated MBA students can only join in January (Spring), and these students don't have to do a Summer Internship, while the August entry students have to engage in Summer internships. This accelerated MBA is for those who do not wish to change their industry, entrepreneurs, and the students in family businesses.

Columbia Business Schools requires that the work contained in the applicant’s application is accurate. Offers of admission will be rescinded should any misrepresentation and/or omission occur. Students can check below the requirements for the Columbia MBA application:

• Academic Transcripts

• GPA

• GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE Score

• Resume

• Essays

• Recommendation

• Application Submitted/Received

• Interview

• Application Fee

• Re-applicant Checklist

• Deposits

According to the employment report (2024) published by CBS, the the highest package after doing an MBA from Columbia Business School was offered in Consulting industry, which was a whopping average median salary of USD 190,000 (INR 1.60 Cr), followed by Healthcare industry which had an average median salary of USD 170,000 (INR 1.43 Cr).

Here is the table showing the top Industries where Columbia Business School MBA graduates were hired:

 (USD 1 = INR 86.81)

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.

The MPA & MIA degrees are very similar in terms of the area of study they focus on. The MPA program is more aligned with the rigorous quantitative & data-driven aspects of public policy while MIA takes a more qualitative approach to international issues & diplomacy harnessing language skills & expertise.

Columbia SIPA is known to offer various PG courses focused on public policy & international affairs.

However, the most prominent courses offered by the institute are the Master of International Affairs (MIA) & Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

Each of these courses have a duration of around 21-months & offer great insight into the global policy making process, modern-day problems & the approach to be used to solve these problems.