Columbia University
Basic Information
Type
Private
Geographical Reach
National
Location
New York, NY
Population
14,000,000
Website
https://www.columbia.edu/
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
8,899
Men / Women
50% / 50%
White
29%
International
20%
Asian
15%
Hispanic
12%
Black
6%
Mixed
5%
Native American
0%
From State
17%
From Region
14%
Academics
Undergraduate Degrees
Computer Science
18%
Engineering
12%
Business & Economics
11%
Physical Sciences & Math
9%
Life & Natural Sciences
8%
Arts
6%
Financial
Tuition & Fees
$71,170
Est. Cost of Attendance
$89,472
10-Year ROI
$364,000
ROI Percentile
99th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
98%
4-Year Graduation Rate
81%
6-Year Graduation Rate
96%
Transfer-Out Rate
0%
Weather
Comfortable Days
105 (50%)
Sunshine Hours
2,535 (41%)
Days Without Precipitation
243 (42%)
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
4%
Yield (Unbound)
41%
Early Decision 1
Nov 1
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Research
Research Level
R1
Expenditure
| Life & Natural Sciences | $1,204M | #14 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | $162M | #34 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | $18M | #86 |
Graduate Degrees
| Humanities & Social Sciences | 822 | #3 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | 622 | #26 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | 138 | #36 |
Honors College
Standardized Tests
Test Scores
Test Policy
optional
Submitted Test Scores
63%
SAT Range
1520
–
1560
SAT Math Range
770
–
800
SAT RW Range
740
–
780
ACT Range
34
–
35
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia College | 2,077 | 49% / 51% | 17% | $113,478 | 90% | ||
| Computer Science | 408 +41 | 63% / 37% | 23% | $204,511 | 100 | 95% | |
| Data Science | 5 — | 60% / 40% | 60% | $156,706 | 100 | — | |
| Information Science/Studies | 11 +3 | 45% / 55% | 36% | $164,846 | 100 | — | |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 24 — | 67% / 33% | 12% | $155,034 | 100 | — | |
| Astronomy | 2 +4 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $95,181 | 89 | — | |
| Astrophysics | 21 — | 52% / 48% | 10% | $95,368 | 89 | — | |
| Chemistry | 11 +5 | 45% / 55% | 9% | $75,515 | 66 | — | |
| Geology/Earth Science | 21 +8 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $50,254 | 7 | 96% | |
| Materials Science | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 33% | $77,264 | 69 | — | |
| Mathematics | 42 +49 | 64% / 36% | 33% | $91,784 | 87 | 89% | |
| Mathematics-Statistics | 27 +18 | 59% / 41% | 26% | $165,479 | 100 | 90% | |
| Physical Sciences | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $96,449 | 90 | — | |
| Physics | 25 +7 | 72% / 28% | 32% | $96,850 | 90 | — | |
| Biochemistry | 23 +1 | 43% / 57% | 26% | $85,402 | 81 | — | |
| Biological Sciences | 54 +8 | 50% / 50% | 4% | $69,310 | 52 | 92% | |
| Biophysics | 6 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $88,215 | 84 | — | |
| Environmental Science | 8 +4 | 38% / 62% | 0% | $89,414 | 85 | 90% | |
| Evolutionary Biology | 6 +1 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $97,921 | 91 | 90% | |
| Neuroscience and Behavior | 104 +1 | 30% / 70% | 12% | $77,489 | 70 | 92% | |
| Economics | 240 +14 | 65% / 35% | 32% | $134,398 | 99 | 90% | |
| Economics | 37 +21 | 59% / 41% | 8% | $134,398 | 99 | 90% | |
| African American and African Diaspora Studies | 5 +4 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $54,363 | 12 | 93% | |
| American Studies | 12 +2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $78,037 | 71 | 90% | |
| Ancient Studies/Civilization | 2 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $78,622 | 72 | — | |
| Anthropology | 18 +13 | 50% / 50% | 17% | $68,212 | 49 | 85% | |
| Classical Languages | 11 +2 | 55% / 45% | 0% | $82,709 | 78 | — | |
| Cognitive Science | 12 — | 25% / 75% | 33% | $77,409 | 70 | — | |
| Comparative Literature | 30 +1 | 17% / 83% | 3% | $75,602 | 66 | — | |
| Creative Writing | 37 +14 | 41% / 59% | 5% | $67,649 | 47 | 86% | |
| East Asian Studies | 16 +25 | 56% / 44% | 25% | $78,037 | 71 | 90% | |
| English Language and Literature | 93 +15 | 20% / 80% | 10% | $74,155 | 63 | 86% | |
| Ethnic Studies | 10 +9 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $54,363 | 12 | 93% | |
| French | 2 +7 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $78,873 | 72 | 79% | |
| German | 2 +2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $81,344 | 76 | — | |
| History | 90 +32 | 48% / 52% | 7% | $66,087 | 43 | 88% | |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 2 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $97,685 | 91 | 94% | |
| Italian | 3 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $78,873 | 72 | 79% | |
| Latin American and Caribbean Studies | 2 +6 | 0% / 100% | 50% | $78,037 | 71 | 90% | |
| Linguistics | 10 +1 | 30% / 70% | 10% | $81,453 | 76 | — | |
| Near Eastern and Semitic Languages | 8 +5 | 75% / 25% | 25% | $96,927 | 90 | 95% | |
| Philosophy | 36 +17 | 64% / 36% | 22% | $33,503 | 1 | 76% | |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 9 — | 67% / 33% | 11% | $59,325 | 23 | — | |
| Political Science | 201 +24 | 51% / 49% | 12% | $98,687 | 91 | 87% | |
| Religion | 7 +3 | 57% / 43% | 14% | $58,035 | 20 | — | |
| Research & Experimental Psychology | 116 +37 | 33% / 67% | 11% | $80,055 | 74 | 84% | |
| Slavic Languages | 2 +3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $81,886 | 77 | — | |
| Social Sciences | 33 +8 | 21% / 79% | 18% | $76,126 | 67 | 97% | |
| Sociology | 44 +13 | 41% / 59% | 7% | $93,017 | 88 | 94% | |
| Spanish | — +10 | — | — | $82,107 | 77 | — | |
| Sustainability Studies | 43 +2 | 40% / 60% | 19% | $85,716 | 81 | 83% | |
| Architecture | 17 +1 | 29% / 71% | 29% | $84,800 | 80 | 90% | |
| Art History and Archaeology | 26 +11 | 31% / 69% | 12% | $55,731 | 15 | 93% | |
| Dance | 3 +2 | 33% / 67% | 33% | $43,871 | 3 | — | |
| Drama and Theatre Arts | 4 +2 | 50% / 50% | 25% | $36,696 | 1 | 90% | |
| Music | 13 +5 | 31% / 69% | 23% | $47,740 | 5 | 94% | |
| Urban Studies | 11 — | 18% / 82% | 9% | $77,473 | 70 | — | |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 68 +26 | 38% / 62% | 13% | $77,285 | 69 | 83% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science | 356 | 55% / 45% | 20% | $127,921 | 94% | ||
| Applied Physics | 11 — | 82% / 18% | 9% | $142,559 | 99 | — | |
| Biomedical Engineering | 55 — | 36% / 64% | 15% | $91,198 | 86 | 87% | |
| Chemical Engineering | 14 — | 64% / 36% | 7% | $120,085 | 98 | 97% | |
| Civil Engineering | 18 — | 33% / 67% | 28% | $96,195 | 90 | 94% | |
| Computer Engineering | 25 — | 76% / 24% | 8% | $190,478 | 100 | 100% | |
| Earth and Environmental Engineering | 20 — | 35% / 65% | 15% | $96,793 | 90 | — | |
| Electrical Engineering | 24 — | 71% / 29% | 21% | $112,032 | 97 | 88% | |
| Industrial Engineering | 4 — | 25% / 75% | 25% | $146,594 | 100 | — | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 81 — | 73% / 27% | 11% | $103,801 | 94 | 93% | |
| Operations Research | 50 — | 42% / 58% | 30% | $199,865 | 100 | 95% | |
| Applied Mathematics | 54 +2 | 50% / 50% | 39% | $132,761 | 99 | 100% |
Rankings
Academics
Future Patagonia Vest Owners
Top Investment Banking Feeders
Will Network for a Superday
Future Ambulance Chasers
Top Law School Feeders
Future SCOTUS Clerks
College Costs
We Marked It Up Just to Put It on Sale
Highest List Price
Luxury Good
Prestige
Grandma Eyebrow Raisers
Easy Brags for the Prestigious-Conscious
Ivies, But
My Tribe
Call Your Mother!
Most Jewish
Huge Community
Engineering
It's Not About Molecules, It's About Pipes
Chemical Engineering
Math Masochists Scared of Actual Chemicals
Playing House
Civil Engineering
Bridge Builders
Resistance Is Futile
Computer Engineering
O(1) Touch Grass (Theoretically Computable)
Resistance Is Not Futile
Electrical Engineering
Ohm My God
Drill, Baby, Drill
Energy & Mining Engineering
My Precious
Regular Engineering Just Wasn't Hurting My Brain Enough
Engineering Physics
Simultaneously Engineers & Physicists Until a Recruiter Observes Them
Making Spreadsheets Go Brrrr
Industrial Engineering
The Suits
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes.
Materials Engineering
Alloy Stars
WD-40 & Duct Tape
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Whiteboard-preferred
Computer Science
Explaining That HTML is Not a Programming Language
Computer Science (A&S)
Chalkboard Masochists
Physical Sciences & Math
Quants, Proofs & p < 0.05
Applied Mathematics & Statistics
Wall Street's Favorite Feeder Schools
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Quantum Masochists & Chalkboard Wizards
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Plate Tectonics Elite
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
We Cited Ourselves in the Standard Model
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Theorem Crafters
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
Darwin's Favorites
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Planet Savers
Memorizing 206 Bones
Human Biology
The Cadaver Club
Lord of the Petri Dish
Microbiology & Immunology
Antibody Avengers
Staring at a Gel Electrophoresis Until Our Eyes Bleed
Molecular Biology & Genomics
Helix Heavyweights
Action Potentials
Neuroscience
Rat Maze Architects
Health Sciences
Future Heroes (With 12-Hour Shifts)
Nursing
Florence Nightingale's Heirs
Legal Drug Dealers
Pharmacy
Dosage Masters
Saving Lives One Spreadsheet At a Time
Public Health
Epidemiology Elite
Sweat Equity
Sports & Fitness
The Training Room
Business & Economics
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings
Business Administration
We Don't Actually Offer Undergrad Business
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets
Business Analytics
VLOOKUP Virtuosos
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro
Economics
The "Saltwater" Keynesian Minions
Wolf of Wall Street Prep
Finance
Wait, I Majored in Econ?
Tik-Tok Generation
Marketing
Campaign Ready
Humanities & Social Sciences
I Think, Therefore I Major
Cognitive Science
The Qualia Quibblers
Much Ado About Nothing
English, Literature & Writing
The Great American Novelists
Saving the Planet, One Policy at a Time
Environmental Policy & Sustainability
Sustainability Wonks
Smashing the Patriarchy 101
Gender Studies
The Theorists
Model UN Generation
Government & Politics
Future Senators
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary)
History & Archaeology
The Archivists
Passport Stamp Collectors
International Relations
UN Delegates
Future Lawyers (and Their Future Anxiety)
Law
SCOTUS Hopefuls
I'll Figure Out the Career Later
Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary
Renaissance Wannabes
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group
Philosophy & Ethics
Armchair Philosophers
Feelings, But With Error Bars
Research & Experimental Psychology
Textbook Authors' Legacy
Decolonizing the Curriculum
Regional & Ethnic Studies
Diaspora Scholars
Arguing with God for a Grade
Religion
Sunday School Professors
Everything is a Construct
Sociology & Anthropology
Social Theorists
Grammar Police Academy
World Languages & Linguistics
Grammar Nerds
Education
Surviving PTA Karens
General Education
Shaping the Shapers
Hablas Pedagogy?
Languages Education
Polyglot Professors
History Repeats Itself
Social Sciences Education
Civics Class Stars
Everyone Gets a Medal
Special Education
Differentiated Instruction
Show Your Work, Then Teach It
STEM Education
Math Whisperers
Arts
Sleep Deprivation by Design
Architecture
Studio Culture
Explaining Splatters to Rich People
Art History & Management
The Curatorial Elite
Lights, Camera, Tuition
Film
Festival Circuit Royalty
The "Will Paint for Food" Brigade
Fine & Studio Arts
The Ivory Towers of Paint
Eight Hours of Scales
Music
Practice Room Prophets
Theatre Kid Generation
Performing Arts
Encore Worthy