Columbia University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Columbia University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
6:1
Student to faculty ratio
26
Average class size
80%
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 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
Most Common
10-19
2-9
412
10-19
806
20-29
394
30-39
82
40-49
67
50-99
200
100+
92
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:
97%
First-year retention rate
80%
4-year grad rate
95%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $84,082. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$84,082
$48,300 (National Average)
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Columbia University's 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
31.8
88.44
145.08
201.72
258.36
315
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architecture 14
Area
- East Asian Studies 21
- East Asian Studies 19
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 13
- Ethnic Studies 13
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 12
- African-American/Black Studies 11
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 10
- Ethnic Studies 10
- African-American/Black Studies 5
- Latin American Studies 3
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- Latin American Studies 2
- African Studies 0
- Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign) 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Neuroscience 79
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 60
- Biochemistry 14
- Evolutionary Biology 9
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 5
- Biophysics 4
- Neuroscience 2
- Evolutionary Biology 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 315
- Computer Science 42
- Information Science/Studies 8
- Information Science/Studies 2
Engineering
- Operations Research 72
- Mechanical Engineering 61
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 45
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 24
- Computer Engineering, General 22
- Chemical Engineering 21
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 19
- Civil Engineering, General 18
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 16
- Industrial Engineering 6
- Operations Research 1
- Engineering Mechanics 0
- Engineering, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 67
- Creative Writing 32
- Creative Writing 18
- English Language and Literature, General 15
Foreign Languages
- Comparative Literature 21
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 9
- Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 9
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 9
- Linguistics 8
- Spanish Language and Literature 8
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 8
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 8
- French Language and Literature 7
- Spanish Language and Literature 7
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 7
- Linguistics 3
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
- Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
- German Language and Literature 3
- French Language and Literature 3
- Comparative Literature 2
- German Language and Literature 2
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
- Italian Language and Literature 1
- Portuguese Language and Literature 1
- Russian Language and Literature 0
- Portuguese Language and Literature 0
- Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 0
History
- History, General 79
- History, General 32
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
- General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
- Applied Mathematics, General 51
- Mathematics, General 33
- Mathematics, General 30
- Statistics, General 19
- Statistics, General 18
- Applied Mathematics, General 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Sustainability Studies 44
- Mathematics and Computer Science 12
- Data Science, General 8
- Mathematics and Computer Science 1
- Nutrition Sciences 0
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 0
- Cognitive Science, General 0
- Climate Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 8
- Environmental Science 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 38
- Philosophy 14
- Religion/Religious Studies 8
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 8
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 2
Physical Sciences
- Geology/Earth Science, General 18
- Physics, General 14
- Astrophysics 12
- Chemistry, General 8
- Geology/Earth Science, General 5
- Materials Science 5
- Astronomy 3
- Physics, General 3
- Astronomy 2
- Chemistry, General 2
- Physical Sciences, Other 1
Psychology
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 125
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 38
Science Technologies/Technicians
- Science Technologies/Technicians, Other 0
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 274
- Political Science and Government, General 205
- Sociology, General 36
- Social Sciences, Other 30
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 29
- Economics, General 23
- Political Science and Government, General 20
- Sociology, General 14
- Urban Studies/Affairs 14
- Anthropology, General 12
- Social Sciences, Other 8
- Anthropology, General 4
- Economics, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other 57
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 22
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other 17
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 12
- Music, General 9
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 8
- Music, General 8
- Dance, General 3
- Dance, General 3
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