Columbia University

CITY & STATE

New York, NY

PUBLIC/PRIVATE

Private

UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION^*

9,511

STUDENT POPULATION^*

37,954

AVERAGE GRANT AID^*

$65,173

TOTAL ANNUAL COST^*

$89,587

ALUMNI SALARY^‡

$159,700

ACCEPTANCE RATE^*

SAT COMPOSITE RANGE^*

1490-1570

ACT COMPOSITE RANGE^*

34-35

Grade

A+

GPA

4.5

WEBSITE

www.columbia.edu

Columbia University in the City of New York is located in the Upper Manhattan community, where students benefit from the city’s immersive culture and vast resources. Columbia is considered the most diverse school in the Ivy League and promotes diversity and inclusion by gaining a strong demographic of international students, faculty, and staff. Just as unique as its sprawling community is Columbia’s academic programs which comprise three undergraduate schools and thirteen graduate and professional schools, with engineering,

political science, and economics as its most popular majors. Columbia’s Department of Economics is ranked as one of the top institutions for economics research in the world. The university is also home to a globally recognized medical center, affiliated colleges and seminaries, and more than 100 research centers and institutes. Columbia is no stranger to inclusivity, as students gather for a number of events, including Latinx Heritage Month, Holi celebration, and Powwow, which celebrates indigenous communities. Other rites of passage include first-year students running through Columbia University’s gates and the ever-so-popular “Bad Poetry Contest” hosted by Columbia’s Philolexian Society.

On forbes lists

College Financial Grades 2026

#10

America's Best Employers For Company Culture 2026

#97

America's Best Large Employers 2026

Top Colleges 2026

In Private Colleges

In Research Universities

In The Northeast

#313

America's Best Employers for Women 2025

America's Best Employers By State 2023

#48

America's Best Value Colleges 2019

#211

Best Employers for Diversity 2018

AcademicsFinancial AidAdmissionsStudent Life

Carnegie Classification

Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity

Retention Rate

97%

4-Year Graduation Rate

80%

6-Year Graduation Rate

95%

Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity

Retention Rate

97%

4-Year Graduation Rate

80%

6-Year Graduation Rate

95%

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Percent of student body receiving…

Aid

56%

Federal Grants

22%

Pell Grants

22%

State/Local Grants

Institutional Grants

51%

Loans

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Admissions Rate

Admissions Yield

63%

SAT 25th PERCENTILE

1490 Composite: 730 Reading / 760 Math

SAT 75th Percentile

1570 Composite: 770 Reading / 800 Math

ACT 25th PERCENTILE

34 Composite: 35 Reading / 32 Math

ACT 75th Percentile

35 Composite: 36 Reading / 35 Math

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Calendar System

Semester

Religious Affiliation

Not applicable

Campus Setting

Urban

Students Age 18-24

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Attendance

FULL-TIME

90%

PART-TIME

10%

Enrollment By Race/ Ethnicity

NON-RESIDENT ALIEN

39.6%

WHITE

26%

ASIAN

13.2%