Top New York Universities: Columbia or NYU?

Location

Considering grand quadrangles, neoclassical columns, and well kept lawns, one could say that Columbia offers the perfect Ivy League campus atmosphere.

But unlike other Ivy League schools like Princeton or Yale, Columbia is a tranquil oasis in the center of a busy city. Despite being on Manhattan’s upper western point, it is nonetheless conveniently close to the action.

One of the city’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods lies nearby, called Harlem. The Hudson River and Central Park are also nearby, providing some gorgeous relief from New York’s infamous urban jungle.

While Columbia will for many students provide the ideal balance of academic solitude and close proximity to the action, NYU offers a more immersive urban experience. Despite having campuses all throughout the city, the university’s main campus is in Greenwich Village, right in the center of the city’s cultural and social life.

There are no fences or gates separating NYU’s Washington Square campus from the nearby streets’ abundance of eateries, pubs, and cafés. When you study here, you can anticipate being in the heart of one of the world’s most culturally vibrant regions.

With a score of seven in the student view indicator, which is based on a survey asking students to rate their city on factors such as affordability, ease of getting around, employment opportunities, arts and culture, and more, New York consistently ranks among the top 20 of the QS Best Student Cities ranking.

Student Population

When professional courses are taken into account, NYU has a far larger overall student body than Columbia.

Although both are at the larger end of the scale and offer sizable and diverse student populations, Columbia has a more diversified student body than NYU (Columbia places 63rd in the world for its percentage of international students whereas NYU ranks 94th).

Columbia is more strongly focused on graduate studies, with graduates outnumbering undergraduates by a two to one ratio, as befits its standing as a research-intensive university. In contrast, NYU has more undergraduates than Columbia by more than three times, with a higher proportion of undergraduates than graduate students.

Finances and fees

Leading private universities in the US are well-known for being pricey, and neither of these two prestigious universities in New York is an exception. International students at both universities pay the same overall tuition as domestic students.

NYU’s annual undergraduate tuition fees for 2020–2021 total US$61,671, while Columbia’s rate for that same year was US$58,920 (including other required fees). At the graduate level, costs vary based on the graduate program and the subject, but master’s programs at both universities are probably going to start at roughly $50,000–52,000 per year.

At both institutions, most students use a combination of personal savings, loans, financial aid, and scholarships to cover the cost of their education. The majority of Columbia University students—50%—receive financial aid, with the average award amount being $52,073. Similar to this, a large number of NYU students receive financial aid.

Both institutions include net price calculators on their websites, which prospective students can use to estimate how much they would have to pay and what financial help they could be eligible for. These calculators are available at all US universities. You may find the net price calculator from NYU here, along with a complete list of funding possibilities. The net price calculator for Columbia can be found here, along with information on funding here.