collageColumbia University – Columbia Business School
3022 Broadway Uris Hall, Room 216 | New York, NY | 10027 | Website
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Overview
Applicants6,008Acceptance Rate17%Average Undergrad GPA3.50Years Work Experience5Average Age28
Test Scores
GMAT (25th and 75th percentiles)700 – 740GPA3.3 – 3.8
Deadlines
Early Application DeadlineOctober 4
Regular Application DeadlineApril 11
Rolling Admission DeadlineApril 11
Other Admission Factors
Academic
GMAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal StatementNon-Academic
School Type And Accreditation
School TypePrivate
AACSB-approvedYes
Selectivity Rating
Admissions selectivity rating99
Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School (CBS) is part of Columbia University’s campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City. CBS provides a full-time, two-year MBA program that gives students the option of enrolling in either August or January, as well as an Executive MBA Program. Columbia MBA students enjoy the school’s location in New York City, one of the U.S.’s primary financial centers. They also receive especially strong training in finance, based in part on such customized, practical programs as the rigorous Value Investing Program for second-year students.
Contents
- FAQs
- Videos
- Admissions
- Essay Topic Analysis
- Interview Reports
- Recommendation Questions
- Columbia Q&A’s
- Stats
- Columbia LiveWire and DecisionWire
- Academics
- Campus Life
- MBA Careers
- MBA Financing
- Columbia News
- Contact Information
FAQ
What is the tuition for Columbia’s MBA program?
The tuition for Columbia’s MBA program is $74,400 per year. The total cost of the Columbia MBA program is $110,978 per year; this includes budgeted living expenses.
How hard is it to get into Columbia’s MBA program?
The acceptance rate for Columbia is just over 16% It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 732.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to Columbia’s MBA program?
The average GMAT score for the incoming class at Columbia is 732. The GMAT range is 530 to 790.
Does the Columbia MBA program accept the GRE?
Yes. The Columbia MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.
What is the average GRE score for admission to Columbia’s MBA program?
Columbia does not publish an average GRE score for its incoming class, but does accept the GRE for admissions.
What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to Columbia’s MBA program?
Columbia’s minimum number of years of work experience is at least 1 year of work experience: 99%.
What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to Columbia’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a Columbia student?)
The average number of years of work experience among students in Columbia’s MBA program is 5. The average age of a Columbia MBA student is 28 years.
What is the average starting salary for graduates of the Columbia MBA program?
The average starting salary for Columbia MBA graduates is $130,000 (median salary). The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.
How long is Columbia’s full-time MBA program?
Columbia offers a traditional 2 year MBA program. They also offer a 15 month option, that begins in January. Known as J Term.
What are the application deadlines for Columbia’s MBA program?
Columbia’s Early Decision deadline is October 4, 2019. The Regular Decision deadline for their rolling admissions process is April 10, 2020.
What percent of Columbia MBA students are women?
The percentage of the class at Columbia that are women is 39%.
What type of interview does Columbia use for MBA admissions?
Columbia offers interviews by invitation. The interviews are blind. This means the interviewer has not had access to the application materials.↑
VIDEOS
The Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Entrepreneurship
Assistant Professor Jorge Guzman explains why allowing new businesses access to relief funds will play an essential role in an economic recovery.
Six Questions with Dean Costis Maglaras
Wondering what the exciting changes at CBS mean for students and alumni? Click to hear Dean Maglaras in conversation with Kate Vanek ’09 on the future of business education.
ADMISSIONS
The Class Profile
CBS accepted just over 16% of applicants to the Class of 2020, and 756 students ultimately entered the program. Eighty percent of students in the class were 25 to 31 years old at the time of matriculation, and 2018 entrants reported on average a GMAT score of 732 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.6. Students also averaged five years of prior work experience, and 99% had at least one year of full-time work experience. Women make up 39% of the Class of 2020, and 33% of students identify as U.S. minorities. Forty-two percent of students are international citizens. Those with professional backgrounds in financial services constitute 25% of the class, making financial services the most represented industry, while 23% of the Class of 2020 was previously in the consulting industry. As undergraduates, 29% of the class majored in business, while 19% pursued degrees in economics and 17% studied engineering.
Application Procedures
Prospective CBS students can apply either early decision or on a rolling basis, with a final application deadline in April. J-Term applicants must apply by early October; those targeting consideration for merit fellowships should apply by January. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and submit transcripts from each academic institution attended, and beginning in the 2013-2014 admissions cycle, GPAs should be reported in whichever scale is used on candidates’ transcripts. Applicants must also submit their GMAT or GRE scores, TOEFL or PTE scores if applicable, essays, two recommendation letters, a résumé, a CBS application form and an application fee of $250. Interviews are only available by invitation from CBS and can be issued at any time following the Admissions Office’s receipt of materials. Interviews are usually conducted near an applicant’s location by an alumnus or offered via phone with a current MBA student.
Application Checklist
- GPA
- GMAT/GRE/TOEFL score(s)
- Transcripts
- Résumé
- Essays
- Recommendations
- Application Fee
- Interview
ESSAY TOPIC ANALYSIS
Not available↑
RECOMMENDATION QUESTIONS
Not available↑
INTERVIEW REPORTS
Sorry, there is no news for this school.↑
COLUMBIA-BUSINESS-SCHOOL Q&AS
Not available↑
STATS
| CLASS SIZE | 756 |
| FEMALE | 39% |
| INTERNATIONAL | 42% |
| MEAN GMAT | 732 |
CONTACT
Mailing Address:
Columbia University Admissions Office
4th Floor Armstrong
3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Phone: 1-212-854-5553
Fax: 1-212-662-6754
Email: apply@gsb.columbia.edu
Web: https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/
Twitter: @ColumbiaMBA↑
COLUMBIA-BUSINESS-SCHOOL LIVEWIRE AND DECISIONWIRE
MBA LIVEWIRE FOR COLUMBIA
Application results in real time, submitted by site visitors.May 20, 2020 9:08amAccepted via phone.
GMAT: 750.May 18, 2020 12:07pmInterview Invite via email.
GPA: 3.5. GMAT: 730. NYC.May 18, 2020 10:55amAccepted via phone.
GPA: 3.6. GMAT: 730. New York.May 11, 2020 1:03pmInterview Invite via email.
GMAT: 730. California.May 10, 2020 11:12pmWaitlisted via n/a.
VIEW MORE COLUMBIA DECISIONS
MBA DECISIONWIRE FOR COLUMBIA
There are currently no DecisionWire results for this school. Click here to be the first one.VIEW MORE COLUMBIA DECISIONS↑
ACADEMICS
Faculty
CBS employs about 150 full-time faculty members to teach students across eight academic divisions and 27 special programs, centers and institutes. Columbia’s Executives in Residence features retired industry leaders elected to one-year teaching terms at CBS. Adjunct professors also lead a selection of classes each year.
Curriculum
Columbia Business School’s MBA program exposes students to a versatile range of lecture-, case- and project-based learning and offers students a high level of flexibility. Admitted students are divided into clusters of 65 to 70 people that take most of their core classes together in their first year. Each cluster is further sectioned into learning teams of about five students, who tackle many core course assignments as a group.
Classes at CBS follow a semester system, with three semesters—Spring, Summer and Fall—in each academic year. Following a weeklong orientation period for first-year students matriculating in the fall, Fall Semester courses begin in late August and run through mid-December. There is then another orientation in early January for students who choose the “J-Term” option that allows them to enter the MBA program in Spring Semester. Spring courses begin for all MBA students in late January and last until mid-May. During Summer Semester, which runs from late May to mid-August, students who entered in the fall complete internships while J-Term students take classes. All students then complete the following Fall and Spring Semesters together, with commencement taking place in mid-May. Columbia does not offer any kind of pre-term academic refresher for incoming students, but instead incorporates opportunities for students to get up to speed on key business areas during orientation.
CBS’s full-term courses span a semester and are worth three credits apiece, while half-term courses are correspondingly worth 1.5 credits each. The full-time MBA program requires students to earn 60 credits in order to graduate, a condition students generally fulfill by undertaking 15 credits each semester. Columbia provides students with a structured core curriculum that includes two full-term courses and eight half-term courses, though students may choose three half-term courses from a “flex-core” section of Columbia’s offerings.
The school’s schedule is structured so that students complete their core curriculum across their first two semesters. Prior to the start of each semester, CBS offers exemption exams that allow students who pass to trade their core courses for electives. All students are given three slots for full-term electives beginning in their second semester. The second year of the MBA consists entirely of electives.
While students do not have the option of selecting a major at CBS, MBA students can choose to focus their studies in one of 14 predetermined areas, such as accounting, leadership and ethics, or finance and economics. One notable example of the school’s numerous special programs is the Master Classes, which are industry-focused electives that give second-year students firsthand experience in evaluating real-world problems alongside industry leaders. Students can also study abroad through Global Study Tours or CBS’s Chazen Global Immersion Program, which gives second-year students the chance to spend a semester studying at one of 21 international partner programs or the Haas School of Business in California.
Other MBA Degree Options
Aside from the full-time MBA program, CBS offers an Executive MBA Program in New York, an EMBA-Global Americas and Europe program with London Business School, and an EMBA-Global Asia program with London Business School and the University of Hong Kong. Full-time MBA students may also pursue one of 11 dual-degree tracks, including the three-year JD/MBA program through CBS and Columbia Law School.
Career-focused Paths
Accounting
Decision, Risk, and Operations
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management
Leadership and Ethics
Management
Marketing
Media and Technology
Private Equity
Real Estate
Retail and Luxury Goods
Social Enterprise
Value Investing
Degree Offerings at Columbia
Full-time MBA Program
http://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/programs/mba
Executive MBA Programs
New York, Americas, Europe, Asia
http://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/programs/executive-mba
Dual Degrees
Architecture, Dental and Oral Surgery, Engineering and Applied Science, International and Public Affairs, Journalism, Law, Nursing, Physicians and Surgeons, Public Health, Social Work
http://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/programs/mba/academics/dual-degrees↑
CAMPUS LIFE
Clubs, Conferences & Competitions
More than 100 student organizations contribute to CBS’s engaged extracurricular community. CBS builds “Club Time” into students’ schedules twice weekly to facilitate deeper involvement with these social, professional and affinity- and service-oriented student groups. Student clubs organize events and projects ranging from happy hours and galas to the Harlem Tutorial Program. CBS students are also afforded opportunities for involvement in student government through organizations such as the Bernstein Leadership and Ethics Board, the Career Fellows and the Honor Board. In addition, MBA students spearhead many of CBS’s conferences. Some examples include the Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference, the Social Enterprise Conference, the Black Business Students Association Annual Conference, and the Columbia Women in Business Conference.
CBS provides students with further avenues to practically hone their business skills through competitions. For example, the Columbia Entrepreneurs Organization runs the yearly Shark Tank Competition that tests the entrepreneurial creativity and viability of students’ business plans. Other competitions open to CBS students include international and regional competitions such as the American Bankruptcy Institute Corporate Restructuring Competition.
Campus Spaces
Uris Hall is one of CBS’s key buildings and has its origins in Columbia University’s move to the Morningside campus in the late 1800s, though it has been renovated many times since its original construction; it now houses many faculty and administrative offices. Nearby Warren Hall also houses CBS’s main facilities. Since September 2008, construction has been underway for a new Manhattanville campus that will contribute two new buildings to CBS, along with bolstered connections between the school and the broader Columbia community. While buildings began to open in the spring of 2017, the business school is expected to occupy space by 2021. Columbia offers limited University-owned apartments, and CBS reports that many students choose to independently find off-campus housing.↑
MBA CAREERS
Career Services
The CBS Career Management Center equips MBA students with many resources to secure employment after business school. Students can undertake one-on-one advising sessions or attend workshops, clinics, seminars and panels organized by the center. Furthermore, the newly established Columbia Career Network connects students with alumni mentors with shared interests and hosts both on- and off-campus events to engage alumni with current CBS students. Representatives of corporations are also brought to campus to give presentations on their firms, take part in panel discussions and recruit CBS students for post-MBA roles. At least 400 firms are represented each year by recruiters. On-campus interviews for full-time time positions begin in October, while those for summer internships begin in January.
Career Statistics
Ninety-four percent of the Class of 2018 had received job offers and 90% had accepted a position by three months after graduation, a figure that does not include the percentage of students starting a new business or returning to their previous employers. The median starting salary reported for graduates was $130,000 in a range from $52,000 to $308,000. Approximately 32% of the class joined the financial services industry, with about 12% of graduates taking roles in investment banking. Consulting employed a similarly high percentage of graduates by industry at roughly 34% percent, followed by media and non-health technology at just under 16%. Approximately 4% of the class chose positions in real estate.
Of 2018 graduates, about 34% selected financial services roles and 39% accepted consulting roles. Marketing and management functions were undertaken by approximately 10% of graduates each.↑
FINANCING
Tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year totals $74,400. The cost of the year, however, is placed at $110,978 for first-years to account for additional costs such as other mandatory fees, healthcare, books and supplies, room and board, and personal expenses. CBS also notes that students could encounter additional costs due to study tours and optional activity fees. The school offers resources for non-U.S. citizens needing special authorization for billing through the International Students and Scholars Office, and the Student Financial Services Office offers loan information for U.S. and international students. Accepted students are automatically considered for fellowships—only first-years entering in August are eligible for need-based fellowships that year—and a separate application is required for students seeking need- or merit-based scholarships.
Program Tuition 2018 – 2019
Tuition $74,400
Mandatory fees $3,905
Health services and insurance $4,332
Books and supplies $900
Room and board $21,375
Personal expenses $6,066
Total first-year budget $110,978
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