In this article, let’s look at all the pros and cons of Columbia university to understand whether it is worth it or not to study computer science and other engineering branches in detail.
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So without further ado let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
Is Columbia university good for computer science engineering and is it worth it?
Yes, Columbia University is definitely good for studying computer science and other engineering branches.
This university is not only one of the oldest but also highly popular and reputable university in the world, and as per us news, Columbia University has got second spot of best universities in America after Princeton University.
And also keep in mind this is Ivy League college so you will get amazing facilities and infrastructure along with lots of financial support and scholarships and also a lot of entrepreneurship culture.
There are obviously disadvantages to this university as well like there are not many engineering courses and high admission costs.
Now let’s take a look at all the pros and cons of studying at Columbia University especially engineering courses in detail to get an idea of whether you should choose this university or not
Pros and cons of Columbia university
Pros of Columbia university
Variety of schools and courses
One of the main advantages is that there are various types of schools and courses you can study in this university.
As a matter of fact there are 21 different schools in Columbia University and each has its own subject area for example there is a separate school for law and school for engineering similarly separate schools for journalism medical arts and science business dental general studies and many more.
And since we are talking about engineering in specific of studying in Columbia University, You can study this in engineering College of University where there are different types of engineering courses you can study for undergraduate like computer science mechanical electrical chemical and other types of engineering branches.
History & reputation of the college
Another advantage is that the university has a huge history and reputation on the global stage.
As a matter of fact the university is founded in 1754 and it is counted as one of the oldest universities in America.
As You should know that Pulitzer prize is awarded by Columbia University itself to the people who achieve excellence in American society in areas of journalism or music etc.
Apart from being one of the oldest university in America, It also has good ranking in top universities of the world at present.
Columbia University has got the 19th spot in the top universities of the world according to Q’s ranking similarly US News ranks, This as 6th best university in the world.
So the University not only one of the oldest but also highly reputable and included in top universities of the world by major websites and publications.
So by getting admission into this college can help you grow your confidence, get more respect in society and You can get many opportunities in your career, and just by mentioning that you graduated from this University in your CV can help you significantly stand out and get the job.
Scholarships and financial support
Another advantage is that you can get many scholarships and financial support especially if you want to study undergraduate and postgraduate engineering education in this university.
And because this university is a part of Ivy League colleges, the scholarships you receive are need based, which means you will get scholarships depending upon your family household income, and that is really big advantage for any student.
And what’s amazing is that if your family household income is less than $60,000 per annum then you will have to pay no money for tuition fee in Columbia University.
And this means that you will be able to study in the University free of cost and scholarships are present both for national international students as a matter of fact 11 million dollars Is the average amount paid as scholarships to international students studying UG programs in the University every year.
You can check more details of scholarships here
Great faculty and teachers
Another advantage is that the university has great faculty and teachers to teach the concepts to the students.
Obviously the teachers and professors have high masters and PhD degrees along with it the interaction between the teacher and student is beyond the classroom and blackboard.
The professors and students interact, and students also participate in various research projects along with the professors in the University, even the teaching method is quite different called as case method which is used to teach concepts by the professors in the University.
And the best part is that the student faculty ratio is around 6:1 and moreover 82% of the classes have less than 20 students in it so there are good number of high quality professors to interact with the students.
And apart some that more than 19 Nobel laureates of the University were working as the faculty and professors in the University and many other professors of the University have received many awards and recognitions worldwide.
Amazing facilities and infrastructure
Another advantage is that the university also has many amazing facilities and infrastructure for the students.
Just like most other top Ivy League colleges, even Columbia University also has similar facilities like housing facilities, sports complex, international cities auditorium different schools museums libraries health centres lots of research facilities and laboratories to conduct research and development, and many more facilities.
And I especially want to mention that the University has excellent research facilities, there are more than 200 research facilities and centre areas like institutions in the university and more than 350 inventions take place from the research institutions in the university and this is why more than 40 Nobel prize Laureates are the alumni of the University.
Apart from the research there are also lots of student clubs and sports that are present so that students can participate in the university.
And because this university is part of Ivy league, lots of sports competitions are held frequently which you can participate in with the sport that you are interested in most and you can win prizes also.
Location of the university
Another thing is that the location of the university itself is a big advantage.
This university is located in New York City, Apart from being the most popular city not only in America but also in the world, the city is also home for many businesses accountancy, law firms and many startups.
Deloitte IBM PepsiCo Bank of China American express Verizon communications Pfizer Morgan Stanley are some top businesses that are situated in the New York City so As an engineer graduated from Columbia you can get internship in some of these companies and also jobs in future.
So after graduating you can easily find and get new job because you are living in the city itself and you can easily find new work as long as you have the skill during your undergraduate education in the University,
not just that the city also has many beautiful tourist places that you can visit during free time of your studies in the University, and also the city has amazing food to offer which is great.
Great alumni and networking opportunities
Another advantage is the alumni and the networking opportunities in the University is amazing.
First let’s talk about the alumni of the University, and if you check this University alumni has been quite remarkable, It includes Nobel laureates politicians writers singers actors businessman CEO inventors innovators lawyers and many more.
Like for example Barack Obama, Alicia keys, BR Ambedkar are a few notable alumni of the University.
And apart from the famous alumni approximately 40% of the students of the University are from international countries Which means students from more than 100 different countries visit America
and specifically New York City to study in Columbia University so there is a lot of amazing opportunities to build strong network with different set of people.
And I have already mentioned earlier that the University also has a lot of student societies and clubs that you can join which also helps students increase their networking opportunities and also learn interpersonal skills and team working Which are very important in life.
Great entrepreneurship culture
Another advantage is that the University also has great entrepreneurship culture.
In fact there is something called as Colombia startup lab which is the home for many amazing innovators and some of the best entrepreneurs of Columbia University.
I would like to mention a few facts and statistics about the entrepreneurship program of the University,
- 15 billion dollars is the amount of money raised by the startups of the University in the last 1 year
- Approx 6 million dollars of awards were granted into the startups of the Columbia University by the University itself
- Approx 3000 startups were created in Columbia University in the last decade
All of this is possible because of the entrepreneurship program and support in starting a startup, mentorship and help during the fundraising and also growing the startup.
And some popular businesses started by the alumni of Columbia University are Pinterest BuzzFeed fundera contently code academy compass etc
With this you can understand that the University has also been very good for entrepreneurship and starting businesses because unlike most universities which
only help you learn how to start a business but in this university you not only learn how to start business but also get support and also potentially get funds which is not possible in every university.
Placements and job opportunities
Another advantage is that there are high placements and job opportunities you can get in this university and as we are talking about engineering in specific you can get good job opportunities.
$90000 is the average salary of a graduate of Columbia University and keeping in mind this is the average salary, your salary depends upon factors including experience specialisation, company and location.
And as an engineer you can get placement in top tech companies like Google Facebook Amazon Twitter and Snapchat Qualcomm etc and the location of New York City helps you a lot during your job opportunities After graduating in engineering from this University.
These are all the advantages of studying in Columbia University.
Cons of Columbia university
Few engineering courses
one of the main disadvantages is that there are not many engineering courses you can study in the University like You cannot study petroleum or agriculture or aeronautical or automobile etc
Some popular engineering courses you can study are computer science civil mechanical electrical environmental industrial and financial engineering etc.
High costs
Another disadvantage is that it is very expensive to get education into this college.
It will cost you around $77000 on average to get your education without scholarship including the tuition fees and other secondary expenses in Columbia University for 1 year.
And since the University is located in New York City, It is definitely quite expensive as compared to other cities of the country so if you do not come under the eligibility of scholarships then it will be definitely expensive for you to afford education in the University.
Low acceptance rate
Another disadvantage is that it is very difficult to get admission to this college just like most other Ivy League.
The acceptance rate of Columbia University is around 6.7% which is very low and you will find similar trend with other Ivy League colleges like Princeton and Harvard.
The acceptance rate in the University is very because apart from your academic test scores like SAT & ACT, they also look for other qualities in the application of the student including things like curiosity leadership communication and other characteristics before approving the student in join the college.
With that said let’s end the article.
Conclusion
These are all the things you need to know about Columbia University.
Do comment down what are your thoughts about Columbia university in the comments section below.
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