Diversity at Columbia

Connecting with people very - or even slightly - different from ourselves stimulates the imagination; and when we learn to see the world through a multiplicity of eyes, we only make ourselves more nimble in mastering - and integrating - the diverse fields of knowledge awaiting us."
Lee C. Bollinger
President of Colubmbia University

Columbia and New York are an incredible mosaic of cultures, religions, ideas and perspectives. Columbia's 5500 undergraduates hail from over 850 different hometowns.

Columbia is committed to creating and supporting a community diverse in every way: race, ethnicity, geography, religion, academic and extracurricular interest, family circumstance, sexual orientation, socio-economic background and more. With one of the most generous financial aid programs in the nation, we ensure that our education is accessible to all. We offer a curriculum as pluralistic and polyphonic as New York itself and a community of scholars who embody this commitment to diversity and who encourage discussion and debate.

Diversity is one of the things that make Columbia vibrant, dynamic and exciting. Students at Columbia find a setting that allows them to explore diversity in a variety of ways and a university that prides itself on serious intellectual inquiry, the exploration of diverse ideas, the strength of interdisciplinary investigation, a culture of dialogue and debate and a student body committed to service and civic engagement. In this setting students seek to understand each other and understand themselves. This is the transformative power of diversity in education-its ability to enrich the individual as it enriches the community and society as a whole.

Columbia and New York. At the Crossroads of the World. An immensely rich educational experience that prepares students to become engaged global citizens.

Who’s Here, What’s Here Total number of undergraduates in Columbia College and SEAS: 5,667                Number of states represented: 50 Number of international faculty, researchers and visiting scholars: 1,991 Number of countries represented among faculty and students: 150 Number of Research Centers: 214 Number of Areas of Study: Nearly 100 Number of Clubs and Organizations: Nearly 500 Number of Communities: 1

Most Recent Incoming Class Percentage of first-generation college: 17% Percentage of Students on Financial Aid: 53% Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients: 15% Percentage of women: 49% Percentage of students of color: 52% Percentage of international students/students educated abroad: 17% Percentage of Asian/Asian American students: 23% Percentage of African American students: 13% Percentage of Latino students: 16% Percentage of Native American students: 1%

Learn more in the following pages about the opportunities available for you at Columbia and about our Multicultural Recruitment Committee.

Resources

Students from all backgrounds and with divergent needs will find resources and opportunities at Columbia that allow them to thrive and succeed. Learn more about the resources available for undergraduates to help them engage with the wonderful mosaic that is the Columbia community.

Campus Life

From the MRC to the IRC to an alphabet soup of other student organizations, you will find many opportunities to introduce yourself to different cultures and perspectives. Learn more about the diverse campus life of Columbia.

Meet our Multicultural Recruitment Committee (MRC)

The Multicultural Recruitment Committee (MRC) is a volunteer group of current Columbia students who work closely with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and are committed to recruiting a vibrant and dynamic first-year class. Learn more about these students and their journeys to and through Columbia.