Campus & Student Life at Columbia University in the City of New York

Home to about 8,148 undergraduates in 2020, Columbia is a very large, private university located in New York, New York. This urban setting might be best suited for students who like the fast-paced city life. Should you tire of the campus however, Columbia offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by Columbia can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our Columbia Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

Columbia Has a Disability Services Site

Individuals with disabilities make up 12.0% of the student population at Columbia. For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit Columbia Disability Services.

Columbia for the Military

While not a "service academy", Columbia does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit Columbia Veteran Services . For more information, check out our Columbia for Veterans Guide.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at Columbia University in the City of New York

Columbia offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

Columbia has a comparatively very large, student body. There were 8,148 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 7,509 (92.2%). Part-time attendance was 639 (7.8%).

Columbia University in the City of New York is Ranked #3 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, Columbia receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank Columbia #3 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at Columbia by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the Columbia Diversity Guide.

Columbia University in the City of New York Competes in the NCAA

Columbia has a total of 844 student athletes, 463 men and 381 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Columbia University in the City of New York Athletics