Columbia University
New York, New York · Private, a large city · 8,973 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into Columbia?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
4%
57,613 applied
SAT, middle half
1510 to 1580
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
34 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
63% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankRequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
- PortfolioConsidered
How much does Columbia cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees
$74,180
A full year, sticker price
$92,198
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$15,370
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $2,275 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $4,020 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $4,878 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $8,881 |
| Over $110,000 | $40,931 |
- Room and board on campus
- $18,680 a year; $20,322 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $1,282 a year
- The school's own grants
- 51% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $61,951
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Columbia students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
About $233 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
15%
Get a Pell Grant
25.4%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
14.1%
What do Columbia graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$87,082
Ten years after starting
$109,430
Middle half: $68,875 to $179,344
Best-paid program, five years out
$222,515
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$40,539
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Do Columbia students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
98%
Graduate in six years
95.2%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
92% graduated
1% transferred, 1% still enrolled
Who goes to Columbia?
Women
49.8%
First in their family at college
25%
Part-time
6.7%
Students per teacher
6
- Background
- White 29%, Hispanic 15%, Black 8%, Asian 19%, Two or more 6%, International 20%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 13,284 beds
What do Columbia graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 840 | $135,612 | $222,515 | $16,500 |
| Information Science/Studies | 27 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 109 | Hidden | $129,555 | $11,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | 34 | Hidden | $129,556 | Hidden |
| Civil Engineering | 45 | Hidden | $94,230 | Hidden |
| Computer Engineering | 53 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 55 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering Mechanics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering Physics | 20 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, Other | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 29 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 156 | $92,862 | $119,306 | $10,275 |
| Operations Research | 100 | $125,285 | $185,733 | Hidden |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 52 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Biology, General | 119 | $44,866 | $74,852 | $22,250 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 17 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 194 | $39,186 | $95,126 | $18,442 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 116 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 42 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 49 | $26,913 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Materials Sciences | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 149 | $55,980 | $129,413 | Hidden |
| Physical Sciences, Other | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 58 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 90 | $98,912 | Hidden | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 24 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 195 | $50,370 | $67,078 | $18,971 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 274 | $58,276 | $95,624 | $22,250 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 95 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 128 | $49,361 | $65,431 | $16,000 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | 17 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 84 | $44,703 | $40,539 | $35,252 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 48 | $49,430 | $70,561 | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 15 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 78 | Hidden | $55,668 | Hidden |
| Music | 34 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | 163 | $48,217 | $74,197 | $27,000 |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 35 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical and Ancient Studies | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Climate Science | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Cognitive Science | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Data Science | 11 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | $21,500 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 50 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Nutrition Sciences | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sustainability Studies | 104 | $80,080 | Hidden | $27,000 |
Compare Columbia with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with Columbia University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences