Colleges / Columbia University in the City of New York
College · Private nonprofit · New York, NY · City
Clmb

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY

AddressWest 116 St and Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Websitewww.columbia.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate4%
6-yr median pay$89k
Net price / yr$22k
Undergrad size8,973
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $22k/yr for a shot at a $89k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 4% means this is a reach for most people, even strong applicants. Admitted students average SAT 1553 · ACT 35.

If you get in

8,973 undergrads. Medium. Clubs matter for finding your people.

Where you live

City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $89k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $22k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$358k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$86k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$272k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.0x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$71.8k
Room & board
$17.6k
Books & supplies
$1,440

How students pay for it.

Pell grants23%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans14%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$22k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $13k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention98%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr96%
Most finish on time.
6-yr median pay$89k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$102k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out0%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
City
Control
Private nonprofit
Undergrad size
8,973
Location
New York, NY
Region
Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity (R1)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · highly residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, more selective, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Also known as
Columbia University
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White29%
  • International20%
  • Asian19%
  • Hispanic15%
  • Black8%
  • Two or more races6%
  • Unknown3%
First-gen students25%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time7%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Veterans1%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$31k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 67

What you can study.

Colleges / Columbia University in the City of New York
College · Private nonprofit · New York, NY · City
Clmb

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY

AddressWest 116 St and Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Websitewww.columbia.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate4%
6-yr median pay$89k
Net price / yr$22k
Undergrad size8,973
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $22k/yr for a shot at a $89k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 4% means this is a reach for most people, even strong applicants. Admitted students average SAT 1553 · ACT 35.

If you get in

8,973 undergrads. Medium. Clubs matter for finding your people.

Where you live

City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $89k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $22k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$358k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$86k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$272k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.0x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$71.8k
Room & board
$17.6k
Books & supplies
$1,440

How students pay for it.

Pell grants23%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans14%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$22k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $13k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention98%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr96%
Most finish on time.
6-yr median pay$89k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$102k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out0%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
City
Control
Private nonprofit
Undergrad size
8,973
Location
New York, NY
Region
Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity (R1)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · highly residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, more selective, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Also known as
Columbia University
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White29%
  • International20%
  • Asian19%
  • Hispanic15%
  • Black8%
  • Two or more races6%
  • Unknown3%
First-gen students25%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time7%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Veterans1%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$31k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 67

What you can study.