Columbia Business School leverages its New York City location to offer unmatched access to Wall Street, media, and real estate industries. Known for its value investing curriculum and strong ties to the financial industry, Columbia attracts ambitious professionals from around the world.
With a class size of 850 students, Columbia offers a large, diverse cohort with extensive networking opportunities. The program's 16.5% acceptance rate makes it a highly competitive program.
Graduates report a median starting salary of $190,000, yielding an estimated 5-year ROI of approximately 475% after accounting for two years of tuition at $82,584 per year.
How Columbia ranks according to each major business school ranking.
| Source | US News | FT | BBW | QS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7 | #5 | #9 | #7 |
| Year | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 |
Note: Not ranked by Financial Times in 2026 due to insufficient data submission. Historical FT rankings (through 2025) shown above.
Track how Columbia's ranking has changed over time in each major publication.
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | #7▲ 2 |
| 2025 | #9▼ 2 |
| 2024 | #7— |
| 2023 | #7— |
| 2022 | #7— |
| 2021 | #7▼ 2 |
| 2020 | #5— |
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #5▼ 1 |
| 2024 | #4▼ 2 |
| 2023 | #2▲ 3 |
| 2022 | #5▼ 1 |
| 2021 | #4▲ 2 |
| 2020 | #6— |
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #9▼ 2 |
| 2022 | #7▲ 1 |
| 2020 | #8— |
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #7▼ 1 |
| 2024 | #6▼ 1 |
| 2023 | #5▲ 2 |
| 2022 | #7▼ 1 |
| 2021 | #6▼ 1 |
| 2020 | #5— |
Rankings data compiled from official publications. Global rankings (FT, QS) include international business schools, so positions may differ from US-only lists.