Columbia vs Georgetown

Columbia University and Georgetown University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Columbia, located in the heart of New York City, boasts a lower acceptance rate (6.1%) compared to Georgetown's (14.1%), indicating its highly selective admissions process. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Columbia excelling in fields like computer science, economics, and engineering, while Georgetown is renowned for its international relations, political science, and business programs. The student bodies at these universities reflect their unique strengths, with Columbia having a slightly larger undergraduate population and a higher percentage of international students. While Columbia's graduation rate stands at 95%, Georgetown's is slightly lower at 91%. To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
Columbia University logo

Columbia University

Georgetown University logo

Georgetown University

Overview

Location New York, New York Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 99.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.1% 12.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $90
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1410 - 1550
ACT range 34 - 35 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 43.0% 64.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0% 38.0%
Total number of applicants 61,110 27,629
Total number of admissions given out 2,524 3,311
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,641 1,585
Yield rate 65.0% 47.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $90,882 $81,515
Average net price $12,411 $23,049
Tuition $60,514 $59,784
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,450

Meal plan: $6,000
Room/dormitory: $11,802

Meal plan: $7,120
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $57,726
42.0%
Average amount $36,711
Students receiving federal student loan 7.0%
Average amount $5,511
20.0%
Average amount $3,246
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $34,119
3.0%
Average amount $34,459

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,832
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
7,598
Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students 24,944
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
13,337
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 97.4%
International students 37.0% 16.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 13,071 5,571
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A New York California Maryland New Jersey Virginia

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 97.4% 95.2%
Dropout rate 1.7% 4.4%
Transferred out 0.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $193,362
  • Year 2: $180,752
  • Year 3: $230,020
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,427
  • Year 2: $170,426
  • Year 3: $179,305
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $153,730
  • Year 2: $160,605
  • Year 3: $167,216
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,851
  • Year 2: $143,033
  • Year 3: $166,695
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,312
  • Year 2: $114,503
  • Year 3: $148,040
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,903
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $135,658
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,222
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $131,926
Construction Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,322
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $125,926
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,569
  • Year 2: $109,659
  • Year 3: $119,899
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,223
  • Year 2: $100,127
  • Year 3: $118,332
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,589
  • Year 2: $127,040
  • Year 3: $139,178
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $165,914
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $129,874
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,015
  • Year 2: $118,650
  • Year 3: $124,664
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,741
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $117,331
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,843
  • Year 2: $97,367
  • Year 3: $114,961
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,441
  • Year 2: $77,715
  • Year 3: $112,359
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,438
  • Year 2: $85,538
  • Year 3: $107,054
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,493
  • Year 2: $88,639
  • Year 3: $106,148
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,783
  • Year 2: $100,876
  • Year 3: $103,046
Statistics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,445
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $102,592

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