Columbia University at a glance
Beginnings.Founded as King's College in 1754 by charter of King George II of England, Columbia was the first institution of higher learning in the province of New York and the fifth in the colonies. Rechartered after the American Revolution, it became the country's first independent college.
Enrollment.The total enrollment at Columbia University in 1994Ð95 was 19,921. About 3,600 undergraduate students are enrolled in Columbia College, and about 1,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
See for yourself.You're welcome to visit the Columbia campus at any time. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions can help you arrange for a group information session, a campus tour or a class visit. Columbia alumni conduct personal interviews of applicants all over the world from October through February. If you're a high school senior, we encourage you to stay overnight in a Columbia residence hall, where a current undergraduate will be your host. To arrange an overnight stay, please get in touch with us at least two weeks before you plan to visit. You're welcome to schedule an overnight any time from the first week of October through March, depending, of course, on the undergraduate academic schedule. After December, you may schedule an overnight visit only if your application is already on file. If your parents are visiting with you, the Office of Admissions would be happy to provide you with a list of suggested hotels. How to get to Columbia. The Columbia campus is at 116th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is in 212 Hamilton Hall, and the Visitors Center, for tours and group information sessions, is in 213 Low Library. We urge you to make your visit to campus by public transportation, if possible. If you must drive to Columbia, the most convenient route to the campus is the 95th/96th Street exit of the Henry Hudson Parkway (West Side Highway). Use the 95th Street off-ramp and turn left onto Riverside Drive. Proceed north (uptown) to 116th Street. A right turn at 116th Street will bring you to the campus gate. We suggest that you park in the garage at the Riverside Church, which is at 120th Street between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue. By train or bus. Train service in New York arrives at Grand Central Station or Pennsylvania Station; bus service arrives at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. From any of these points, you can take public transportation or a taxi north to the campus. By air. La Guardia, the airport closest to Manhattan, is about a $20 taxi fare to the campus. As a much cheaper alternative, the M60 bus begins at La Guardia Airport and comes to Columbia's main gate. For those coming into John F. Kennedy or Newark Airport, bus service is available to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Taxi service from these two airports should be $30 to $40. Public transportation. Five bus lines (M4, M11, M5, M60, M104) and one subway line (the Broadway IRT #1 and #9 locals) serve Columbia and the Morningside Heights area. If you find yourself on the Broadway IRT #2 express or #3 express, be sure to change for the #1 or #9 local train at 96th Street. |
Organization.Columbia University encompasses fifteen colleges and schools: Columbia College; the College of Physicians and Surgeons; the School of Law; the School of Engineering and Applied Science; the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; the School of Nursing; the School of Social Work; the Graduate School of Journalism; the Graduate School of Business; the School of Dental and Oral Surgery; the School of Public Health; the School of International and Public Affairs; the School of General Studies; and the School of the Arts.
Faculty.In the fall of 1994, the faculty at Columbia University numbered 2,521. The number of full-time faculty appointments in the arts and sciences was 578; the number in engineering was 94.
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Diversity.About 30 percent of all students at Columbia University are Asian, Black, Hispanic, or Native American. Women represent about 48 percent of the student body. About 3,700 students at the university are foreign nationals.
Libraries.The Columbia University Libraries, one of the largest academic libraries in the United States, houses 6,600,000 volumes and maintains 66,000 serial titles. Undergraduates have full access to all library services, including Internet resources.
Affiliated institutes and centers.More than 100 special institutes and centers affiliated with Columbia University engage in specialized research, instruction, and public service.
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Athletics.Columbia competes in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. Men's varsity teams compete in baseball, basketball, heavyweight crew, lightweight crew, cross country, fencing, football, golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and wrestling. Women's varsity teams compete in archery, basketball, crew, cross country, fencing, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
Academic calendar.Two semesters and a summer session. Cost of Attending. Estimated costs for 1996Ð97 for Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science are: Tuition, $20,884; fees, $562; room and board, $7,162; books, $800; miscellaneous expenses, $1,060. (Total estimated cost, $30,468.) Travel costs vary; course |
last modified: January 15, 1997
Chris Gwiazda, College Web Manager, college@columbia.edu