Columbia University (New York)

Columbia University (New York)
Name	Columbia University
Caption	Low Memorial Library on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus
Established	1754
Type	Private Ivy League
City	New York City
State	New York
Country	United States
Campus	Urban
Website	columbia.edu

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Columbia University (New York) Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City. Founded as King's College in 1754 during the reign of George II of Great Britain, it has evolved through associations with figures such as Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and institutions including Barnard College, Columbia Business School, Columbia Law School, Teachers College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

History

Columbia traces origins to a royal charter granted under George II of Great Britain and early trustees like Samuel Johnson (colonist) and William Livingston, with Revolutionary-era interactions involving John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. During the 19th century Columbia expanded under presidents such as Hamilton Fish (governor) and institutional transformations paralleled developments at Barnard College, Columbia Law School, Columbia College (Columbia University), and the establishment of professional schools including Columbia Business School and Columbia Journalism School. The 20th century saw leadership from figures like Nicholas Murray Butler and controversies tied to events such as the 1968 Columbia University protests of 1968 with connections to organizations like Students for a Democratic Society and political figures including Mayor John Lindsay. Postwar eras involved collaborations with Rockefeller University, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and funders such as the Rockefeller Foundation and scholars affiliated with American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Student organizations span publications, athletics, and arts with outlets including Columbia Daily Spectator, The Columbia Spectator, WBAR, Columbia College Student Council, Barnard Student Government Association, and performance groups linked to venues such as Columbia University School of the Arts theaters and the Miller Theater. Athletics teams compete as the Columbia Lions in the Ivy League (athletics), with rivalries anchored by Harvard University and Princeton University and facilities like Baker Athletics Complex, Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium, and rowing on the Hudson River near Spuyten Duyvil. Traditions, protests, and cultural events have involved groups such as Students for a Democratic Society, Alliance for a Democratic Columbia, and collaborations with nearby institutions including New York University, The New School, and local arts organizations like Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Research at Columbia is conducted through institutes including the Earth Institute, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Zuckerman Institute, Center for Computational Biology, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, and partnerships with medical entities such as NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Columbia faculty and alumni have been associated with major prizes including the Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Medicine, Pulitzer Prize, Turing Award, and affiliations with laboratories like Nevis Laboratories and collaborations with agencies including NASA, National Institutes of Health, and international organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank.

Alumni and faculty include heads of state and government like Barack Obama, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Colin Powell; jurists and legal scholars including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Jay and Benjamin Cardozo; economists and Nobel laureates such as Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, and Robert A. Mundell; writers and journalists including Jack Kerouac, Colin Powell (also), Bob Woodward, Joseph Mitchell, Edith Wharton, and Zadie Smith; scientists and Nobel laureates like Enrico Fermi, Niels Bohr (affiliated), Richard Axel, and Selman Waksman; and artists and performers who studied or taught at Columbia such as W. H. Auden, Allen Ginsberg, Jennifer Egan, I. M. Pei, and Arthur Miller.

Admissions are highly selective and competitive with applicants evaluated through holistic review similar to practices at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and enrollment statistics compared across institutions such as Barnard College and Columbia College (Columbia University). Columbia regularly appears in international and national rankings compiled by organizations and publications like U.S. News & World Report, Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, and lists influenced by indicators including faculty awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and research funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.