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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Contents - International Students Web Section

International Admissions and Financial Aid

Detailed information about admissions and financial aid policies, procedures, deadlines and helpful reminders specifically for international students

A Global Community

Welcome home to the second largest international student population in the United States and a school that has housed visionaries like Orhan Pamuk, Madeleine Albright and Emanuel Ax. Learn more about our international student body and the famous alumni and faculty members who have made their marks on our campus

International Student Resources & Organization

Along with Columbia’s vast student resources, including residential, academic and career advisors for all students, international students have additional sources of administrative and peer support and cultural celebration

Columbia University is one of the oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning in the world.  Established in 1754 in New York City, Columbia since its founding has been at the center of the nation’s academic and cultural life.  As great minds have migrated to the United States, they have often turned to Columbia for their education and training.  This is where Enrico Fermi first split the atom, where Federico Garcia Lorca penned his thoughts, where V.K. Wellington Koo first negotiated between different cultures and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme became a leader.  Columbia takes full advantage of its location in the city.  As New York is the home of the United Nations, Columbia is the home of the annual World Leaders Forum where distinguished leaders engage in dialogue with students and faculty.  Columbia is a premier Global University. 

17% of the Class of 2012 are foreign or international students or students schooled outside the United States.17% of the Class of 2012 are foreign or international students or students schooled outside the United States.

A Global Education

Columbia’s history and students are recognized all around the world, but what strikes an international student who attends Columbia is the quality of the individual experience.  The unique and foundational Core Curriculum is the cornerstone of the Columbia education. Columbia trains students to become leaders and scholars through small seminars that emphasize debate and critical thinking skills.  It is here that Columbia’s global identity is most apparent: students from Australia to Zimbabwe debate with one another, each using the experience to develop his or her own thoughts and opinions.  This tradition of intellectual inquiry led the current president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves (CC ’76), to declare: “I firmly believe that the world would be much better off if everyone [studied] the Core as an undergraduate.”

A Global Opportunity

Columbia has built linkages with the global community, sending scholars and students around the world to help them enhance their own experience.  The Engineers Without Borders student group sends students every year to employ their skills as engineers in the real world.  The Center for Career Education provides global business and internship opportunities, and the Columbia Alumni Association boasts 250,000+ alumni throughout the world.