Admit rate has ranged 4%–7% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Columbia University isn't just an Ivy League institution—it's a New York City powerhouse where intellectual rigor meets urban energy. With a brutal 3.9% acceptance rate and SAT scores rivaling NASA astronaut requirements, Columbia attracts polymaths who thrive in its Core Curriculum while leveraging unparalleled access to Manhattan's cultural and professional resources. Graduates command median earnings of $102,491 within a decade, validating its status as a launchpad for global leaders.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
8,973
In-state tuition
$71,845
Out-of-state tuition
$71,845
Acceptance Rate
3.9%
Student Organizations
400+
6-Year Graduation Rate
93%
International Students
15%
First-Year Grant Average
$77,908
Average Early-Career Salary
$78,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$102,491
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
4.7×
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Graduation rate
96%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
76%
Pell (lower-income) share
60%
First-generation share
25%
Endowment / student
$1,647,441
Financial health
2.7 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$103,078
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$90,856
Operations Research$84,653
Applied Mathematics$84,653
Economics$79,419
Chemical Engineering$75,204
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
31
Per 1,000 students
3.45
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
90
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
54.3"
Annual snow
19.2"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
3.1%
Bottom → top quintile
61%
From bottom quintile
5%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia University in the City of New York?
Columbia University in the City of New York's acceptance rate is approximately 4% (New York, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Columbia University in the City of New York?
Admitted students at Columbia University in the City of New York typically score 1510–1580 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Columbia University in the City of New York cost?
At Columbia University in the City of New York, the average net price (after aid) is about $21,590 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Columbia University in the City of New York?
Columbia University in the City of New York enrolls approximately 8,973 undergraduate students.
Where is Columbia University in the City of New York located?
Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, NY.
Admissions
Columbia's admissions process is among the most selective in higher education, with a 3.9% acceptance rate for the Class of 2028. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1510–1560, while ACT scores cluster between 34–36—placing Columbia in the 99th percentile of test-takers nationwide. Notably, the university maintains a Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy, though submitted scores remain a significant factor. Early Decision applicants face slightly better odds at 12.5%, but still contend with a pool where 93% of admitted students graduated in the top 10% of their high school class. Columbia emphasizes intellectual vitality through its Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone., weighing academic achievements (rigor of coursework, GPA), extracurricular impact, and personal essays equally.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$74,953
Mechanical Engineering$69,338
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Academics
Columbia's academic identity orbits around two gravitational forces: the Core Curriculum—a century-old sequence of literature, philosophy, and science courses required for all undergraduates—and its location-driven specializations. The most popular majors reflect this duality: computer science (leveraging NYC's tech scene), economics (Wall Street adjacency), and political science (UN headquarters access). Students must declare a major, with options ranging from Actuarial Science to accelerated legal education programs at Barnard College. The university's intellectual culture prizes interdisciplinary rigor, evident in joint-degree programs like the 3-2 Combined Plan with engineering. Unlike peer Ivies, Columbia mandates language proficiency (four semesters of a foreign language) and offers niche urban-focused concentrations like Sustainable Development.
Life at Columbia unfolds on a tightly packed Morningside Heights campus that feels like a scholarly village amid Manhattan's chaos. The university's 400+ student organizations range from the Columbia Daily Spectator (the nation's second-oldest college paper) to niche clubs like the Urban Farmers. A defining quirk: the Orgo Night tradition, where the marching band storms the library at midnight before Organic Chemistry finals. While dorms are notoriously cramped (70% of undergrads live on campus), students trade square footage for instant NYC access—the 1 train whisks them to internships at Goldman Sachs or MoMA visits in 15 minutes. International students (comprising 15% of undergrads) often cite cultural adjustment challenges, mitigated by programs like the International Students and Scholars Office workshops.
Columbia's 93% six-year graduation rate (87% in four years) outpaces national averages by 34 percentage points, with alumni earning $78,000 early-career salaries—$14K above typical Ivy benchmarks. Ten years post-graduation, median earnings skyrocket to $102,491, eclipsing NYU peers by $20K. The university's career ecosystem thrives on NYC integration: 70% complete internships at Fortune 500s or UN agencies, while the Center for Career Education logs 12,000+ annual employer contacts. Notably, Columbia engineers see 98% job placement within six months, often at Bloomberg LP or NASA. For entrepreneurs, the Columbia Startup Lab provides free coworking space in SoHo—a rarity in university-sponsored programs.
With a $21,590 average net cost after aid (49% of students receive assistance), Columbia practices need-blind admissions while meeting 100% of demonstrated need. The average first-year grant totals $77,908, with no-loan policies for families earning under $150K. Notably, 20% of undergrads pay $0 tuition due to combination of grants and work-study. The financial aid office runs three estimation tools (including a Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. Calculator) to project costs—critical given Manhattan's high living expenses ($18,432 estimated room/board). Merit scholarships are scarce (only 5% of aid), reinforcing Columbia's focus on socioeconomic diversity through initiatives like the Opportunity Programs for First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. students.
Columbia's synergy with NYC creates an academic experience unmatched by rural Ivies—where else can economics students analyze Fed policy by day and network at Wall Street mixers by night? The Core Curriculum forces STEM majors to engage with Plato and artists to debate quantum theory, producing graduates who can converse across disciplines. Its global alumni network (including 3 US Presidents and 96 Nobel laureates) opens doors from Zurich to Singapore, while the Columbia World Projects initiative tackles real-world challenges like climate migration. For students who crave intensity—whether debating Kierkegaard in a 300-year-old seminar room or sprinting to a Broadway audition between classes—Columbia delivers an education that's as relentless and electrifying as the city itself.
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