Columbia University School of General Studies
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Columbia University School of General Studies?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

6:1
Student to faculty ratio
27
Average class size
56%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Columbia - GS has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
415
10-19
760
20-29
400
30-39
101
40-49
84
50-99
178
100+
103

Honors Programs

Columbia University School of General Studies has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Columbia - GS' website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Columbia University School of General Studies:

98%
First-year retention rate
56%
4-year grad rate
95%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Columbia University School of General Studies' most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Computer Science
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Political Science and Government, General
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
Neuroscience
43.2
116.16
189.12
262.08
335.04
408

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 17
  • Architecture 1
Area
  • East Asian Studies 25
  • East Asian Studies 16
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 12
  • Ethnic Studies 10
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 10
  • Ethnic Studies 9
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 9
  • Latin American Studies 6
  • African-American/Black Studies 5
  • African-American/Black Studies 4
  • Latin American Studies 2
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
  • Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign) 0
  • African Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Neuroscience 104
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 54
  • Biochemistry 23
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 8
  • Biophysics 6
  • Evolutionary Biology 6
  • Evolutionary Biology 1
  • Biochemistry 1
  • Neuroscience 1
  • Computational Biology 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 408
  • Computer Science 41
  • Information Science/Studies 11
  • Information Science/Studies 3
Education
  • Education, General 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 81
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 55
  • Operations Research 50
  • Computer Engineering, General 25
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 24
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 20
  • Civil Engineering, General 18
  • Chemical Engineering 14
  • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 11
  • Industrial Engineering 4
  • Engineering Mechanics 0
  • Engineering, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 93
  • Creative Writing 37
  • English Language and Literature, General 15
  • Creative Writing 14
Foreign Languages
  • Comparative Literature 30
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 11
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 11
  • Linguistics 10
  • Spanish Language and Literature 10
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 8
  • French Language and Literature 7
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 5
  • Italian Language and Literature 3
  • Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
  • Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
  • German Language and Literature 2
  • German Language and Literature 2
  • Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
  • Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
  • French Language and Literature 2
  • Comparative Literature 1
  • Linguistics 1
  • Spanish Language and Literature 0
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 0
  • Portuguese Language and Literature 0
  • Russian Language and Literature 0
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 0
History
  • History, General 90
  • History, General 32
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 2
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
  • General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Applied Mathematics, General 54
  • Mathematics, General 49
  • Mathematics, General 42
  • Statistics, General 27
  • Statistics, General 18
  • Applied Mathematics, General 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Sustainability Studies 43
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 24
  • Cognitive Science, General 12
  • Data Science, General 5
  • Sustainability Studies 2
  • Ancient Studies/Civilization 2
  • Nutrition Sciences 0
  • Climate Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 8
  • Environmental Science 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 36
  • Philosophy 17
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 9
  • Religion/Religious Studies 7
  • Religion/Religious Studies 3
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 25
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 21
  • Astrophysics 21
  • Chemistry, General 11
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 8
  • Physics, General 7
  • Chemistry, General 5
  • Astronomy 4
  • Materials Science 3
  • Astronomy 2
  • Physical Sciences, Other 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 116
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 37
Science Technologies/Technicians
  • Science Technologies/Technicians, Other 0
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 240
  • Political Science and Government, General 201
  • Sociology, General 44
  • Economics, General 37
  • Social Sciences, Other 33
  • Political Science and Government, General 24
  • Economics, General 21
  • Anthropology, General 18
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 14
  • Anthropology, General 13
  • Sociology, General 13
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 11
  • Social Sciences, Other 8
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other 68
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other 26
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 26
  • Music, General 13
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 11
  • Music, General 5
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 4
  • Dance, General 3
  • Dance, General 2
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
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