Viewpoint variety is a critical and transformative factor in education. It enriches us as individuals just as it enriches our community and society as a whole. Students and faculty from all backgrounds will always find opportunities at Columbia that allow them to thrive and succeed.
It is important for all applicants to understand that, beyond academic excellence and preparedness, there is no one factor that determines whether they will receive an offer of admission. We do not admit students based on any single factor or to fill quotas. Rather, each application is assessed holistically based on the entirety of its substance and context. To that end, we encourage all prospective students to use their application as an opportunity to present the best and most complete version of themselves. Our dedication to academic excellence in all its facets is intrinsically tied to our commitment to diversity in its many expressions. This interplay forms a cornerstone of our academic mission.
fact:
1st
African American advocacy group on a multi-racial campus in the U.S.
fact:
1st
gay-rights advocacy group on any college campus
fact:
20%
of first-year students are the first generation in their families to go to college
fact:
3rd largest
international student population of any US university
faculty:
At Columbia, as at most of our peer institutions today, admissions officers value a kaleidoscope of talents and nontraditional backgrounds, including those possessed by military veterans, artists and individuals who have overcome the obstacles of geography or family circumstance. We are proud that we have been able to achieve high levels of both socioeconomic and racial diversity.
Professor
Lee
Bollinger
President Emeritus and Seth Low Professor of the University
Constitutional Law
Student Perspectives and Identities
Columbia's undergraduate community is among the most diverse in the country. Here, you’ll find peers and mentors from all over the world who engage with each other in serious dialogue between cultures, nations, races and religions. You’ll also have access to a range of resources, staff and supports that offer guidance and assistance for students of all backgrounds and identities.
- Multicultural Affairs
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Multicultural Affairs aims to promote an inclusive university climate by preparing students to succeed in a heterogeneous and ever-changing society. Through intellectual inquiry, mentoring, advocacy, educational leadership and cultural programming, Multicultural Affairs serves as the primary resource for students around inter/intracultural and community issues.
- Academic Success Programs (ASP)
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ASP houses Columbia's Opportunity Programs as well as academic tutoring and mentoring initiatives for all students. ASP serves to assist especially students who are coming from under-resourced backgrounds, helping them maximize their potential at Columbia. Through an array of opportunities—including transitional programming, tutoring, educational and personal advising, skill-building seminars and mentoring programs—ASP offers a supportive environment for students throughout their college experience.
- LGBTQ @ Columbia
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LGBTQ @ Columbia provides students with advising, events, education, advocacy and other services and resources to help all students explore and better understand diverse queer and trans identities, experiences and communities at Columbia and beyond. As part of Multicultural Affairs, LGBTQ @ Columbia hopes to create a campus environment that is inclusive and supportive of student diversity in the area of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
- Global Community
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Students from all over the world engage with each other in serious dialogue between cultures, nations, races and religions at Columbia. Columbia is home to the third largest international student population of any US university, with over 100 countries represented among the undergraduate community, and the Columbia Global Centers, located in eleven cities across four continents, serve as hubs of innovative and collaborative scholarship on global challenges.
- Earl Hall and the Office of the University Chaplain
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The mission of the University Chaplain is to promote interfaith and intercultural awareness, fostering learning through spiritual, ethical, religious, political and cultural exchanges, as well as hosting programs on matters of justice, faith and spirituality. The nearly 40 different spiritual and religious organizations on campus utilize Earl Hall as a home for worship and programming.
- Student Engagement
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In keeping with longstanding Columbia tradition, students seek to bring real change to campus and the communities that surround Columbia. Columbia’s engagement comes from a concerted effort by students to always question and to find better answers, which has led to a large network of service and activist organizations available on campus. Through Student Engagement, student groups such as Community Impact are able to work with local communities in tackling social inequity, while Alternative Spring Break invites students to develop their own civic engagement projects addressing community challenges around the world.
Student Groups
Clubs here are some of the most interesting, rewarding, close-knit and fun micro-communities you’ll ever be part of. You will meet other students like you—students who want to make an impact in their community, continue a familiar passion, or discover a new one.
Students & Faculty
Students and faculty come from every corner of the world to engage and explore, and to create a better world.
Being Here
Columbia students come from all parts of the world to form a dynamic community of bright, curious individuals living and learning together in a truly one-of-a-kind city.
Beyond Columbia
Being located in New York City isn't simply a matter of geography for Columbia. New York City is part of the Columbia experience, and as a Columbian, you are part of the fabric of this extraordinary city.