Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is one of nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence, seven of which belong to the Ivy League. Columbia is ranked among the top universities in the world by major education publications.Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to Columbia University by using our New York City itinerary planner.
Columbia was established as King's College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain in reaction to the founding of Princeton College. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolution, and in 1787 was placed under a private board of trustees headed by former students Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In 1896, the campus was moved to its current location in Morningside Heights and renamed Columbia University.
Columbia scientists and scholars have played an important role in scientific breakthroughs including brain-computer interface; the laser and maser; nuclear magnetic resonance; the first nuclear pile; the first nuclear fission reaction in the Americas; the first evidence for plate tectonics and continental drift; and much of the initial research and planning for the Manhattan Project during World War II. Columbia is organized into twenty schools, including four undergraduate schools and 15 graduate schools. The university's research efforts include the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and accelerator laboratories with major technology firms such as IBM. Columbia is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and was the first school in the United States to grant the M.D. degree. With over 14 million volumes, Columbia University Library is the third largest private research library in the United States.
The university's endowment stands at $11.26 billion in 2020, among the largest of any academic institution. As of October 2020, Columbia's alumni, faculty, and staff have included: five Founding Fathers of the United States—among them a co-author of the United States Constitution and a co-author of the Declaration of Independence; three U.S. presidents; 29 foreign heads of state; ten justices of the United States Supreme Court, one of whom currently serves; 96 Nobel laureates; five Fields Medalists; 122 National Academy of Sciences members; 53 living billionaires; eleven Olympic medalists; 33 Academy Award winners; and 125 Pulitzer Prize recipients.
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Columbia University reviews
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My visit to Columbia University as a part of the Indian Delegation to GSAPP was the high point. The walk from 46th Street 9th Avenue to Columbia University juxtaposed by Central Park to my right and..... more »
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A wonderful university campus to visit and walk through. Plenty of green space and food options in the area. more »
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Campus is well worth a visit even just to take in the scenery. Try to spot the subtle differences between the four main buildings that sit in the center, on either side of the street that crosses the campus. Great bookstore
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This university is a very interesting university and it seems very nice and have great student life. Personally it's the university I want to apply for in the near future. ❤
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