Columbia University is a private institution that was founded in 1754. It is located in the Upper West Side of New York City’s Manhattan borough. Originally called King’s College, the school received its current name in 1896. Around 30 percent of students at Columbia study at the undergraduate level and almost 30 percent of the total student body is international. More than 90 percent of undergraduate students live on campus, and there is some university housing available for graduate students as well. Columbia’s academic calendar is semester-based and the language of instruction is English.

The university is made up of three schools that enroll undergraduates – Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies – and numerous graduate and professional schools. Among Columbia University’s highly ranked graduate programs are the Business School, the Law School, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Additionally, Columbia is affiliated with Barnard College for women, the Union Theological Seminary and the Jewish Theological Seminary. The highly regarded New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell is a university teaching hospital. Columbia students and faculty conduct research across the sciences, humanities and social sciences disciplines at more than 200 university centers and institutes. Columbia has also established global centers in Amman, Jordan; Beijing; Mumbai, India; Paris; Istanbul; Nairobi, Kenya; Santiago, Chile; and Rio de Janeiro to facilitate study abroad and research opportunities for students.