Established in 1754 as King’s College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is one of nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence, seven of which belong to the Ivy League.
Columbia is ranked among the top universities in the world by major education publications.
Columbia was established by royal charter under George II of Great Britain. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolution, and in 1787 was placed under a private board of trustees headed by former students Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In 1896, the campus was moved to its current location in Morningside Heights and renamed Columbia University.
Columbia is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and was the first school in the United States to grant the MD degree.
The university also annually administers the Pulitzer Prize. With over 14.5 million volumes, Columbia University Library is the third-largest private research library in the United States.
The university’s endowment stands at $14.35 billion in 2021, among the largest of any academic institution. As of October 2020, its alumni, faculty, and staff have included: seven Founding Fathers of the United States;[n 2] four U.S. presidents;[n 3] 29 foreign heads of state;[n 4] ten justices of the United States Supreme Court, one of whom currently serves; 99 Nobel laureates; 122 National Academy of Sciences members; 53 living billionaires; 22 Olympic medalists; 33 Academy Award winners; and 125 Pulitzer Prize recipientsPosted in Best University
0 Comments