Columbia College is a renowned undergraduate liberal arts college within a world-class research university in the great city of New York. Established in 1754 as King's College, Columbia College is the cornerstone institution within Columbia University and is distinguished by its unparalleled Core Curriculum, which introduces students to great works of literature, philosophy, history, science, and the arts. The College offers an unmatched educational experience with access to distinguished faculty, exceptional research facilities, study abroad and internship programs, and unlimited opportunities for intellectual growth and exploration throughout New York City and around the world.

Columbia College has periodically examined its mission, programs, and curriculum. During the past two years, in collaboration with the Columbia College Board of Visitors, the Dean of the College and the College senior leadership have engaged in a process of developing a strategic plan to strengthen the undergraduate experience for our students and the faculty who teach them. This plan articulates the College’s priorities and objectives for the next several years, focusing on the state of the College today and future opportunities to enhance our students’ experiences in an ever-changing world.

The College offers an unmatched educational experience with access to distinguished faculty, exceptional research facilities, study abroad and internship programs, and unlimited opportunities for intellectual growth and exploration throughout New York City and around the world.

Our priorities and objectives emphasize our commitment to admitting the highest caliber students regardless of their families’ abilities to pay; to enhancing the Core Curriculum, the central experience of Columbia College; to providing effective and dynamic curricular offerings; to giving our faculty the resources they need to best educate our students; and to propelling student success through enhanced academic and career advising and student wellness programs. In addition, we want to better prepare our students for the future through distinctive opportunities to study abroad, pursue internships and conduct research. We want to ensure that our students are able to take full advantage of the resources of our great University and its affiliates, including 17 graduate and professional schools, and our New York City location, while also receiving the best global undergraduate education in the world.

At the core of this, our overarching goal remains to prepare our students through the Core Curriculum, our more than 100 majors and concentrations, and our hundreds of global, internship, and research opportunities, to flourish in a world that neither we nor they can yet know. We want our students to internalize the values they learn in the Core—of character, integrity, honor, and respect—and to build upon them as critical thinkers, active and engaged citizens, and responsible community members. We also want our students to remain connected to the College, to be lifelong learners and community members, attending alumni events, conducting admissions interviews, and mentoring current students who could benefit from their expertise.