Students & Faculty

From undergraduates at the beginning of a promising academic journey to groundbreaking faculty who are leaders in their fields, the Columbia community is like no other. Each individual brings multifaceted talents, perspectives and interests that contribute to a truly singular intellectual and social environment.

Find your community—and lifelong friends.

Our students come together from every background and every corner of the world to engage and explore, to seek new adventures and perspectives, to build connections and lifelong friendships, and to pursue a better world.

Meet Our Students

Meet Our Students
student:
Columbia student Kate O. from Rosell, New Jersey

The Core Curriculum: "Through the Core Curriculum, I feel like more of a well rounded individual. It has allowed me to explore so many academic disciplines that I probably never would have tried on my own. Benjamin VanWagoner is my favorite professor at Columbia. He made Literature Humanities so much fun and was able to take us on many field trips to connect what we learned in the classroom to living in NYC!"

Kate
O.
Roselle, NJ
Architecture, Special Concentration in Urban Teaching
student:
Columbia student Sarah H. from Inverness, Illinois

"I currently live in Carlton Arms, which is a suite-style residence hall. It truly feels like a home. Every morning, I wake up and am greeted by my friends in our living room, and we'll go about our morning routines. It's very domestic and cozy, and it brings me great happiness."

Sarah
H.
Inverness, IL
English, Concentration in Mathematics
student:
Columbia student Adam F. from New York, New York

The Core Curriculum: "After taking both Art Humanities and Music Humanities, I find myself more curious and observant. I walk on the street and look closely at what I see in a way that I never did before. I walk into museums and may stay in one room for an hour. I hear music and listen for its component parts. These classes have given me a framework to better appreciate the world I interact with."

Adam
F.
New York, NY
History, Neuroscience and Behavior
student:
Columbia student Kianna P. from Farmington, New Mexico

"My favorite class has been my Indigenous Theater, Performance and Politics course. In this course we studied how Indigenous peoples have expressed themselves through art and in what ways they've resisted modes of colonialism. This class stuck with because of the material we covered, which included a variety of Indigenous artists I have never heard of before."

Kianna
P.
Farmington, NM
Ethnicity and Race Studies (specialization in Indigenous/Native Studies), Political Science
student:
Columbia student Jessie L. from Yardley, Pennsylvania

Learning beyond the classroom: "Last summer, I participated in Columbia's Summer Internship Program in Psychological Science (SIPPS), which combined weekly workshops with mentored research projects. I didn't have any lab experience beforehand, but I still got to host tons of data collection sessions, assist with fMRI scans, and successfully make my own poster presentation at the end. I'm still working with the lab today!"

Jessie
L.
Yardley, PA
English, Psychology
student:
Columbia student Aiman N. from Danvers, Massachusetts

In the world's greatest city: "Exploring NYC is an activity I do on a weekly basis. My friends and I get on the 1 train and get off at a random stop to try new foods, explore the area or see who we might meet. We have made some phenomenal memories and get to know the city a lot more!"

Aiman
N.
Danvers, MA
Mechanical Engineering
student:
Columbia student Alejandra D.-P. from Mexico City, Mexico

Learning beyond the classroom: "This summer, I conducted independent research in development economics through the Laidlaw Fellowship. I found this opportunity through the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office, and I was aided along the application by friendly and supportive URF staff. I've felt incredibly lucky to get to work closely with a professor, hone my leadership skills and work on a project on my own terms!"

Alejandra
D.-P.
Mexico City, Mexico
Economics, History
student:
Columbia student Ashley P. from Dallas, Texas

Columbia campus traditions: "My favorite extracurricular is Columbia Undergraduate Film Productions. I found this organization at the Activities Fair during my first year, and it is one of the greatest discoveries I've made. CUFP sponsors student run short films yearly, and we have a film festival for all of the shorts every spring."

Ashley
P.
Dallas, TX
Film and Media Studies, Special Concentration in Business Management

Meet your new mentors.

Columbia faculty are today’s thought leaders, genius innovators, and literary lions—and best of all, they love to teach. With an open office hours policy to mentor undergraduates, they have a way of inspiring their students to take their own giant steps.