The United States continues to be one of the top destinations for international students interested in pursuing higher education abroad. Of course, this is inseparable from the fact that the United States has many universities that offer world-class quality education.
In 2023 alone, there are 27 universities in the United States that have made it into the QS list of the top 100 best universities in the world – one of them is Columbia University, which is now ranked 22nd in the line of the top 100 best universities in the world by QS 2023.
Interested in becoming a student at Columbia University ? Want to know more about the courses available at Columbia University and the requirements for applying to Columbia University? Check out the full review below.
General Info About Columbia University
Founded in 1954, Columbia University, located in New York, was first established under the name King’s College , before changing to Columbia College in 1784 and Columbia University in 1896.
For more than 250 years, Columbia University has continued to develop into one of the best universities in the United States.
Apart from the quality of education, the university which is now ranked the 10th best in the United States in the 2023 QS version is also famous for various influential research activities at the world level including research in the fields of brain-computer interfaces, lasers, nuclear magnetic resonance and many more. .
Currently, Columbia University has 3 (three) undergraduate schools, 13 graduate and professional schools , 1 (one) health center, 4 (four) colleges affiliated with the university, 25 libraries and more than 1,000 research centers and other institutions.
Not only that, Columbia University is also the home of the Pulitzer Prize , the highest award given in the world of journalism, literature and world music composition. It is no wonder then that Columbia University gave birth to graduates who later became influential figures in their respective fields, including 84 Nobel Prize winners , 4 (four) Presidents of the United States, 90 more Pulitzer Prize winners and 46 Olympic athletes.
Some of the famous names included in the Columbia University alumni line include: the first American female pilot Amelia Earhart, the first African-American president Barack Obama, musicians Alicia Keys and Art Garfunkel to Academy Award-winning and nominee actors, Casey Affleck and Jake Gyllenhaal .
Outside of academic pursuits, students at Columbia University also have the opportunity to join one of the more than 500 student clubs and organizations available at the university.
One of the student clubs that international students are most interested in joining at Columbia University is the Multicultural Affairs Advisory Council , which is a group of students formed to help other fellow students solve various problems on campus to organize other multi-cultural activities. Another student club that is also popular with international students is the Columbia Mentoring Initiative, a student club that provides opportunities for first-year students at Columbia University to receive direct guidance from mentors who are university seniors or alumni. Thus, the adaptation process for new students in the campus environment will be easier.
Not only student clubs, students can also enjoy various unique traditions or festivals organized by Columbia University , including The Varsity Show, an event that has been held by the university since 1984.
This event features many performances from artists or artists who come from Columbia University. Another unique tradition of Columbia University that is no less unique and can also be enjoyed by all Columbia University students is the Tree Lighting event, which is held in early December every year. During the event, students can watch the trees light up along College Walk while enjoying free donuts and chocolate drinks from the university.
Of course, Columbia University’s location in the middle of downtown New York is also one of the main attractions for international students to enroll in this university.
This multicultural city which is the center of arts and culture in the United States offers a lot of facilities that can be enjoyed while continuing their studies in New York – starting from the 100 available public libraries where students can read millions of books that are not available in other locations, more than 100 museums that displaying millions of artefacts ranging from prehistoric times to the modern era to 180 public parks that can be visited at any time to unwind.
Are you interested in continuing your education with a scholarship to enter Columbia University and want to consult further with an expert consultant? Schoters can help you, starting from preparing to choose a major, scholarships to study at Columbia University that you can try, document requirements, to interviews. Please click the “Study Abroad Consultation” button below and you can freely ask anything
Columbia University Offers Courses Of Study
Currently, Columbia University offers a variety of study programs that are open at all levels of education, both undergraduate and postgraduate. For the undergraduate level, the study programs offered by Columbia University are spread across 3 (three) different Undergraduate Schools , namely:
- Columbia College
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Columbia University School of General Studies.
One of the interesting things about the Undergraduate study program at Columbia University is the existence of a Core Curriculum which is mandatory for all first-year students at Columbia University. The Core Curriculum is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of various academic disciplines and related practical knowledge. The Core Curriculum is implemented in the form of small classes, with a maximum number of students not exceeding 24 students, so that the interaction between students and teaching staff becomes more optimal.
In addition, students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science must also follow the Technical Core curriculum which includes several compulsory subjects such as The Art of Engineering, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science and so on, after completing the Core Curriculum.
Some of the most popular undergraduate study areas at Columbia University include:
- Social Sciences
- Engineering
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Mathematic and Statistics
- Film
- Psychology
- Writing
- Pharmacology
- History
For postgraduate programs, the study programs available at Columbia University are currently spread across 13 Graduate and Professional Schools at the university. What’s interesting is that, although graduate and professional schools often offer the same academic qualifications, graduate and professional schools at Columbia University have quite basic differences.
In general, the study programs available at Graduate Schools are advanced academic study programs after the undergraduate level and to obtain an academic degree from graduate schools , students are usually required to complete a thesis or dissertation.
Meanwhile, study programs at Professional Schools are more geared towards preparing students to work in various service fields including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, business and law. The material provided at Professional Schools will put more emphasis on the application of knowledge in the real world so that to graduate from professional schools , students are usually required to complete internships or other projects in that field of study.
Some of the most popular graduate level study programs at Columbia University include:
- Business Analytics
- Statistics
- Public Administration
- Computer Science
- Computer and Information Science
- Law
- Medicine
- Nursing Science, Education and Practice
- Electrical Engineering
- Chemistry
Interested in continuing your education at Columbia University and want to consult further with an expert consultant? Schoters can help you, starting from preparing to choose a major at Columbia University, scholarships that can be tried, document requirements to interviews. Please click the “Study Abroad Consultation” button below and you can freely ask anything.
Columbia University Entrance Requirements
To apply for admission to Columbia University, there are several general requirements that must be met according to the intended level of education.
Undergraduate Entrance Requirements
To register at the undergraduate level, some of the general requirements needed include:
- Have a high school diploma or other equivalent tests such as the International Baccalaureate, Cambridge A Levels and others. All documents that do not use English must be translated before applying to Columbia University . Prospective students who will enroll in the School of Engineering are expected to take Physics and Calculus classes while at the high school level.
- Have good English skills as evidenced by showing the results of the TOEFL iBT test with a minimum score of 105, IELTS with a minimum score of 7.5 or DET ( Duolingo English Test ) with a minimum score of 135
Postgraduate Entrance Requirements
To apply for postgraduate entry at Columbia University, some of the general requirements needed include:
- Graduated from Bachelor level
- Have good English skills as evidenced by showing the results of English language tests such as TOEFL iBT, IELTS and so on. The minimum score required may vary, depending on the intended study program.
- Some courses also require GRE or GMAT results
- Some study programs also ask prospective students to have work experience for several years beforehand
Tryable Scholarships
If you are interested in continuing your studies at Columbia University, here are some scholarships that you can try.
LPDP Scholarship
The Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship program opened by the Government of Indonesia for Indonesian students who wish to continue their education at the postgraduate level, both Masters and Doctoral, at various universities abroad, including Columbia University .
The LPDP Scholarship itself is opened every year, with 2 (two) registration periods as follows:
- Period 1 which usually opens at the beginning of the year. Registration for period 1 generally opens in January, with the stages of the selection process ending in June.
- Period 2 which usually opens in the middle of the year. Registration for period 2 generally opens in June, with the selection process ending in November.
Fulbright Scholarship
The Fulbright Scholarship is a scholarship program offered by the United States Government to Indonesian students who wish to continue their postgraduate education at various universities across the United States. Applications for the Fulbright scholarship program usually close in February each year.
Need Based Financial Aid from Columbia University
Columbia University also provides assistance to international students at all levels of education, both undergraduate and postgraduate. The value of financial aid is adjusted to the financial needs that can be proven by students through financial evidence or records, especially in the first year of study at the university.