Columbia University: Statistics

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Position Category
#6 of 14,131 In the World
#6 of 2,597 In North America
#6 of 2,496 In the United States
#1 of 221 In New York State
#1 of 92 In New York City
#1 of 1,202 For Media Studies
Top10 For 48 other topics
Subject rankings

Quick Review

Acceptance rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Avg. cost to attend
$12,411 /y
Aid receiving
58%
Undergraduates
8,832
Graduates
24,944
Male:Female Ratio
46:54
Control
Private
not-for-profit
Highest Degree
Doctor's degree

Columbia University Acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Columbia University has an acceptance rate of 4% and is among the top 1% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 4% 5% 4%
Applicants 61,110 25,463 35,647
Admissions 2,524 1,231 1,293
Freshmen enrolled full time 1,592 782 810
Freshmen enrolled part time 49 26 23

6,172 students enrolled in some distance education courses.

1,494 enrolled exclusively in distance education.

SAT scores

Among admitted applicants
704 or 43%
submitted SAT

25% of them
had 1470
or below

75% of them
had 1570
or below

Typical SAT scores of first-years in Columbia University are 1470-1570 (middle 50% range).

ACT scores

Among admitted applicants
464 or 28%
submitted ACT

25% of them
had 34
or below

75% of them
had 35
or below

Typical ACT scores of first-years in Columbia University are 34-35 (middle 50% range).

Admissions requirements

College-preparatory program Required
Recommendations Required
Secondary school record Required
Secondary school GPA Recommended
Secondary school rank Recommended
TOEFL Recommended
SAT/ACT Considered but not required
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

Nonresident Alien 12504 (37%)
White 9693 (29%)
Asian 4452 (13%)
Hispanic 2850 (8%)
Black or African American 1760 (5%)
Race or Ethnicity unknown 1382 (4%)
Two or more races 1055 (3%)
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 26 (0.1%)
American Indian or Alaska Native 21 (0.1%)

Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees

The average net cost to attend Columbia University is $12,411 per year, calculated as the sum of the average cost of tuition, room and board, books, and supplies, reduced by the amount of average financial aid received.

The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.

Net average cost to attend
$12,411/year
Average aid awarded
$57,726
Students receiving aid
58%

Average costs by household income

<$30K $9,873
$30-48K $4,699
$48-75K $8,106
$75-110K $9,939
$110K+ $40,584

Tuition and fees

UndergraduatesGraduates
Tuition in-district $60,514$50,496
Tuition in-state $60,514$50,496
Tuition out-of-state $60,514$50,496
Fee in-district $3,016$2,428
Fee in-state $3,016$2,428
Fee out-of-state $3,016$2,428

Room and board costs

Dormitory capacity 13,071
Combined charge for room and board $15,450
Room charge $9,450
Meal charge $6,000

Columbia University majors

Columbia University has granted 2,128 bachelor's degrees across 61 programs, 8,527 master's across 114 programs, and 1,502 doctorate degrees across 83 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Columbia University.

Major Bachelor Master Doctoral
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 1,402 8
Computer Science 310 500 22
Statistics, General 21 478 7
Social Work 487 6
Computer and Information Sciences, General 489
Law 460
Operations Research 57 320 9
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 228 131 18
Public Administration 374
Public Health, General 314 2
Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse 269
Political Science and Government, General 201 33 13
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 19 166 22
Mechanical Engineering 48 137 13
Epidemiology 145 11
International Relations and Affairs 156
Medicine 155
History, General 93 43 18
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 36 91 18
Sustainability Studies 30 110 5
Management Science 141
Nursing Practice 140
Civil Engineering, General 21 111 7
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 124 9 5
Journalism, Other 133
Creative Writing 30 97
English Language and Literature, General 80 21 23
Industrial Engineering 5 116
Social Sciences, Other 76 45
Biostatistics 115 5
Mathematical Statistics and Probability 116
Information Technology Project Management 106
Neuroscience 80 13 13
Chemical Engineering 29 63 9
Advanced Legal Research & Studies, General 94 1
Dentistry 94
Applied Mathematics, General 52 32 5
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 84 5
Nutrition Sciences 84 3
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration & Management 84
Biology & Biological Sciences, General 46 15 21
Visual and Performing Arts, Other 52 26
Architectural and Building Sciences & Technology 76
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 24 37 9
Geology & Earth Science, General 23 26 21
Sport and Fitness Administration & Management 67
Philosophy 44 13 9
Physical Therapy & Therapist 66
Anthropology, General 27 23 11
Chemistry, General 14 29 15
Non-Profit & Public & Organizational Management 58
Sociology, General 38 15 5
Occupational Therapy & Therapist 55 2
City & Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 42 8
Mathematics, General 25 12 12
Cinematography and Film & Video Production 48
Actuarial Science 47
Environmental Studies 42
Physics, General 14 16 12
Computer Engineering, General 24 16
Environmental Science 2 37
Materials Science 6 30 3
Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General 5 30 3
Human Resources Management & Personnel Administration, General 38
Bioethics & Medical Ethics 37
Engineering Physics & Applied Physics 13 17 6
Dispute Resolution 35
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 26 9
Environmental Health 26 8
Environmental & Environmental Health Engineering 10 21 3
Construction Management, General 33
Medical & Health Humanities 33
Bioinformatics 25 7
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 11 18 3
Economics, General 24 8
Biotechnology 31
American & United States Studies & Civilization 14 14
Film & Cinema & Media Studies 27
East Asian Studies 17 8
Music, General 6 11 8
Cell & Cellular and Molecular Biology 10 14
French Language and Literature 19 4
Middle & Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 10 7 4
Comparative Literature 20
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 6 13 1
Urban Studies & Affairs 19
Western European Studies 19
Religion & Religious Studies 6 4 8
Social Sciences, General 18
Mathematics and Computer Science 16
Architecture 12 2
Spanish Language and Literature 3 8 3
Astronomy 4 4 5
Historic Preservation and Conservation, General 13
Business Administration and Management, General 1 11
Biochemistry 11
Genetic Counseling & Counselor 11
Genetics, General 5 6
Information Technology 11
Ecology 4 6
History, Other 10
Humanities & Humanistic Studies 4 6
Islamic Studies 10
Latin American Studies 4 6
Real Estate Development 10
Clinical Psychology 9
Conservation Biology 9
Education & Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 9
German Language and Literature 2 2 4
Industrial and Organizational Psychology 8
Information Science & Studies 8
Architectural History and Criticism, General 7
Educational Psychology 7
Ethnic Studies 7
Orthodontics & Orthodontology 7
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 7
Psychology, Other 7
Italian Language and Literature 2 1 3
Microbiology, General 4 2
Music Theory and Composition 6
Nursing Science 6
African-American & Black Studies 2 3
Biomedical Sciences, General 5
Digital Arts 5
Pathology & Experimental Pathology 5
Physical Sciences, Other 2 3
Physiology, General 5
Astrophysics 4
Behavioral Sciences 4
Periodontics & Periodontology 4
Prosthodontics & Prosthodontology 4
Science Teacher Education & General Science Teacher Education 4
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 4
Business Statistics 2 1
Counseling Psychology 3
Pharmacology 2 1
Education, General 2
Education, Other 2
Mathematics Teacher Education 2
South Asian Studies 2
Biophysics 1
Dance, General 1
Education & Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 1
Educational Leadership and Administration, General 1
Jewish & Judaic Studies 1
Organizational Leadership 1
Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies 1
Grand Total 2,128 8,527 1,502

Columbia University has a graduation rate of 97%, which is among the 2% highest for universities in the US.

Total Men Women
Graduation rate 97% 97% 98%
  • Full-time retention rate - 99%
  • Part-time retention rate - 92%

Publications & Citations

Columbia University is a world-class research university with 261,854 scientific papers published and 11,059,793 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Biology, Medicine, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Psychology, Genetics, and Environmental Science.

Publications
261,854
Citations
11,059,793

Publication / Citation count by topic

Biology
146,400 / 7,452,169
Medicine
135,713 / 6,248,590
Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
113,141 / 3,969,152
Chemistry
106,773 / 5,731,231
Computer Science
102,068 / 4,567,281
Engineering
90,460 / 3,843,779
Physics
89,186 / 3,943,600
Psychology
82,018 / 3,846,713
Genetics
78,187 / 4,353,043
Environmental Science
74,666 / 3,071,454
Biochemistry
70,715 / 4,220,389
Pathology
61,450 / 3,117,169
Political Science
56,925 / 1,744,142
Quantum and Particle physics
55,153 / 2,483,366
Sociology
52,860 / 1,921,334
Law
52,741 / 1,692,453
Mathematics
52,437 / 2,136,760
Psychiatry
48,007 / 2,416,881
Philosophy
47,811 / 1,543,308
Geology
41,357 / 1,874,309
Geography and Cartography
41,194 / 1,559,451
Organic Chemistry
41,177 / 2,178,086
Statistics
41,174 / 1,771,177
Neuroscience
35,495 / 2,026,282
Surgery
35,155 / 1,438,917
Materials Science
34,716 / 1,599,788
Economics
34,017 / 1,195,162
Business
33,430 / 1,218,964
History
31,626 / 929,957
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
27,704 / 1,080,533
Ecology
27,406 / 1,269,550
Paleontology
26,453 / 1,205,098
Optical Engineering
25,966 / 1,161,654
Public Health
25,557 / 1,187,086
Immunology
25,329 / 1,278,906
Archaeology
23,952 / 848,467
Linguistics
23,327 / 790,601
Demography
22,437 / 1,074,765
Radiology and Nuclear medicine
21,924 / 907,954
Art & Design
18,009 / 489,003

Annual publication & citation counts

Year Publications Citations
1990 2381 40504
1991 2505 45589
1992 2466 50314
1993 2539 51544
1994 2523 55319
1995 2639 63451
1996 2829 69264
1997 2949 77403
1998 3246 87136
1999 3352 98007
2000 3517 108870
2001 4007 120779
2002 4412 134723
2003 4714 152822
2004 5323 170501
2005 5450 197305
2006 6401 222976
2007 6400 249251
2008 6626 277701
2009 6907 311531
2010 7124 335153
2011 7301 371636
2012 7910 412481
2013 8744 455726
2014 8873 488111
2015 9135 516260
2016 9384 525784
2017 9908 565069
2018 9824 567252
2019 10680 652382
2020 12301 764517
2021 13772 936958
2022 11213 837383
Academic rankings

Columbia University alumni

  1. Barack Obama

    Barack Obama
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1961-.. (age 62)
    Enrolled in Columbia University
    1981-1983 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in international relations and political science
    Occupations
    political writermemoiriststatespersonacademicpolitician
    Biography

    Barack Hussein Obama II is an American former politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president of the United States. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004, and worked as a civil rights lawyer before holding public office.

  2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1882-1945 (aged 63)
    Enrolled in Columbia University
    Studied in 1904-1907
    Occupations
    lawyergolferpoliticianstatesperson
    Biography

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. He previously served as the 44th governor of New York from 1929 to 1933, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1913 to 1920, and a member of the New York State Senate from 1911 to 1913.

  3. Jake Gyllenhaal

    Jake Gyllenhaal
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1980-.. (age 43)
    Occupations
    film actortelevision actorvoice actorstage actor
    Biography

    Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He began acting as a child, making his acting debut in City Slickers (1991), followed by roles in his father's films A Dangerous Woman (1993) and Homegrown (1998). His breakthrough roles were as Homer Hickam in October Sky (1999) and as a psychologically troubled teenager in Donnie Darko (2001).

  4. Alexander Hamilton

    Alexander Hamilton
    Born in
    Saint Kitts and Nevis Flag Saint Kitts and Nevis
    Years
    1757-1804 (aged 47)
    Occupations
    economistaide-de-campmilitary personnelslave tradermilitary officer
    Biography

    Alexander Hamilton was a Nevisian-born American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first Secretary of Treasury from 1789 to 1795 during George Washington's presidency.

All 100 notable alumni

General info

Alternative names Columbia University
Founded 1754
Motto In lumine tuo videbimus lumen
In Thy light shall we see light (Psalms 36:9)
Colors columbia blue, white
Academic calendar September to May
Total FTE staff 19,550
Carnegie classification Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity

Location and contacts

Address West 116 St and Broadway
New York, New York, 10027
United States
City population 8,804,000
Phone 2128541754

Columbia University in social media