Columbia is home to a vibrant, curious, welcoming community of students and faculty, drawn together from every walk of life and corner of the world to live and learn in a truly global city. We are dreamers, changemakers and risk takers dedicated to exploring new and exciting ideas, and embracing a sweeping sense of possibility.
It’s where you can ask big-picture questions, have high hopes and form high ideals. A chance to imagine—and to be part of—something greater.
Columbia is one of the most collaborative and creative spaces to study, where students use their education to advance social interests both in and beyond New York City.
100+
countries represented
50+
cultural organizations
$202 million
awarded in financial aid grants
49%
of undergraduates receive financial aid
From community-wide discourse on humanity’s most enduring questions to campus traditions that draw from the full spectrum of cultures, every sphere of the Columbia experience is enriched by all the diverse voices and perspectives among us.
Campus traditions: "My favorite Columbia tradition is the student-run music festival, Bacchanal. It is an incredibly fun experience where everyone takes a day to relax by going out with friends to the Columbia lawns. I was able to hang out friends and catch up with so many people after a busy semester and before finals start. It is such a great time, not to mention the wonderful artists that visit Columbia!"
Why Columbia? "I chose Columbia because I really wanted a school where I didn't have to sacrifice having a traditional on-campus college experience with being able to explore the vast resources of a large city. Thanks to the Core Curriculum, I can create that small community that I really loved from my previous school while being able to explore areas of study that had never been able to explore before. With that, I also love that Columbia really integrates going out and about in New York City to compliment our education."
A residential campus in NYC: "Living on campus, for me, is being able to see people I care about often, being able to engage with the resources of campus from people to green space and city life, growing and learning and exploring myself in a college community. Being here means I can live with other students, be close to my classes and the dining and residence halls and really be immersed in the Columbia community."
Campus Traditions: "My favorite tradition is Tree Lighting. While lining up on College Walk with friends and counting down as we wait for the lights to come on is pretty magical, I mostly like what comes after Tree Lighting. Because the lights are on every night through the rest of the winter, I really love walking down College Walk late at night. It feels like a very quintessential Columbia experience."
Why Columbia? "When I visited Columbia’s campus and had the opportunity to talk to students, I knew immediately that I needed to be here. The campus and students all have this same motivation and eagerness to change the world, and that was something I wanted to be a part of."
A residential campus in NYC: "I met so many of my best friends on my residence hall floor my first year. Carman 6 was such a fun place to live, and I've maintained those friendships throughout my time at Columbia."
Want to learn from a current student about what it’s like to live in a residence hall? Hear how they made the transition from their small town to New York City? Learn about their favorite class this semester? Connect with a current Columbia student now.
Columbia taught me to think. To question. To care. It took me to Washington, DC, and to a public service career where I became the Attorney General of the United States.
Columbia moments happen because of the people who come here and because of our history. Because this city is part of us and we are part of it. Completely unique to each student yet, oh so Columbia. They could only happen here.
In meeting rooms and auditoriums, theaters and playing fields, brownstones and practice rooms, students pursue their passions. At Columbia, there are over 500 opportunities to explore, to grow, to lead, to share.
Across departments, schools, and institutes, Columbians at every level are driven by a passion for discovery, working in the service of improving human understanding and the advancement of our global society.