Being Here

Being at Columbia feels like being at the center of everything. It’s a beautiful, walkable campus in a welcoming residential neighborhood, tucked away in a corner of one of the world’s greatest cities. It’s centuries-old traditions that blend and evolve with the cutting edge of what’s new and what’s next. It’s good meals shared among friends and colleagues, student-led clubs that form the undercurrent of bustling campus culture and life-altering, door-opening conversations and friendships all waiting to take shape. 

It’s a center of gravity where possibility becomes reality—for you and for the world.

A campus experience like no other

500+

student clubs, organizations and teams

50+

restaurants, coffee shops and cafes in Morningside Heights 

35+

undergraduate residence halls

31

Division I NCAA teams

Plaque which reads "In Honor of the Lenape People"

Welcome to Columbia University in the City of New York. Our campus is located specifically on the island of Manhattan, which means "island of many hills" in the language of the Lenni Lenape people. We recognize that Manhattan is part of the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Lenni Lenape and Wappinger people, who are still active members of our community throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Learn more by watching this video.

Students chatting across a table in the dining hall
Student dorm room bed with photos on the wall
Student in a hammock on Butler Lawn

When you pull into the subway station at 116th and Broadway, the sign says 'Columbia,' the walls are light blue and you get off and think, 'This stop is mine.'

Liv
V.
Scarsdale, NY
Art History, English

Explore the Neighborhood

Being Here FAQs

Will I have housing on campus for all four years?

Columbia undergraduate students are guaranteed housing for all four years. In fact, nearly all undergraduates live on campus, and first-year students are required to live on campus. Housing at Columbia offers a wide variety of living opportunities—from corridor-style to apartment-style living, from residence halls in the middle of the main quad to those on quiet side streets only a five-minute walk to the center of campus.

What is Morningside Heights like?

Morningside Heights is a dynamic residential neighborhood filled with restaurants, cafes, shops and hangout spots. It is steps from the Hudson River and bordered by Central Park, Morningside Park and Riverside Park; all the resources of New York City are a short bike, bus or subway ride away.

Does Columbia have programs to help me make the most of my time in NYC?

From the Columbia Arts Initiative (think free museum access and tickets to Broadway shows) to the Center for Career Education (careers fairs, thousands of internship listings and more), Columbia provides countless ways for you to connect with the incredible city that we call home. Hear directly from Columbia students to learn how they've made New York City their own.

See all FAQs
Amsterdam Avenue gate and college walk trees lit up with lights
Students standing in a circle on stage at Varsity Show

Centuries of tradition—and new ones being born all the time

From the Varsity Show that has been setting the bar for satire since 1894 to the dazzling holiday lights illuminating College Walk in December, Columbia’s traditions connect you to the past while making each generation’s experience unique. 

Explore Columbia Traditions

I've loved swing dancing my whole life, but never really did it. When I came to Columbia, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there's a group!’ I took the lessons. We go down to this club near Penn Station, and you get to dance with these amazing—probably professional—swing dancers. That one club kind of opened up a little world for me.

Jessie
E.
Falmouth, MA
Music, Psychology

Find Your Club

Athletics

Whether you are a varsity athlete or just an avid sports fan, Columbia has a proud history of achievement as an original member of the Ivy League. Roar, Lions, Roar!

Students & Faculty

Students and faculty come from every corner of the world to engage and explore, and to create a better world.

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.

Morningside Heights

Morningside Heights, bordered by three parks and full of eclectic shops and great hangouts, gives Columbia students a home base in a charming historic neighborhood.