Columbia Business School MBA Program

Columbia Business Program Overview

Located in New York City, Columbia Business School offers daily access to industry leaders within a global business community. Known for its emphasis on theory and practice, the Columbia MBA program prepares its students for career success by connecting their classroom education to the real-world environments where theory is put into practice.

Given Columbia Business School students aren’t asked to declare a major/concentration, they have great flexibility in their studies. The full-time program uses the cluster system in which admitted students are assigned to clusters of 65 to 70 students who take all of their first-year core classes together. Each cluster is then split into learning teams, groups of about five students from diverse professional and personal backgrounds who complete assignments for the majority of their first-semester, core courses together.

The Columbia Business School community also provides students with numerous opportunities to build connections outside of the classroom. With over 100 student-led clubs, students have the chance to enhance their leadership skills, foster relationships with peers and alumni, and network with business leaders. These clubs include cultural, professional, athletic, and service-oriented organizations. 

The average salary and bonus for the Columbia Business School full-time class of 2021 was $174,114, and 91.7% of students received job offers within three months of graduation.

Columbia Business School reported a 15.7% acceptance rate for the class of 2023.

Comprehensive Columbia Business School Application Support

If you are ready to take the plunge and begin the Columbia Business School application process, Personal MBA Coach is here to guide you via our comprehensive packages.

Keep in Mind:

Columbia is the only major school offering early decision and rolling admissions. If it is your first choice, be sure to apply early!

Columbia offers a January term, which eliminates the full-time summer internship. This option is ideal for candidates who do not need the summer internship to land a job and/or want to finish more quickly.

What Sets Columbia Business School Apart

• Emphasis on Theory and Practice: Columbia Business School’s MBA program bridges the gap between MBA theory and real-world practice. Since the school is so connected to business in New York City, students have the opportunity to apply their studies to trading floors, board rooms, and other business spheres. 
• No Major/Concentration Requirements: The MBA program does not offer official majors or concentrations. This gives students the ability to take a comprehensive, forward thinking approach to business, building the skills for success in all fields.
• The Manhattanville Campus: Columbia’s new Manhattanville campus is designed to increase networking and collaboration opportunities among students, faculty, staff, alumni, practitioners, as well as the larger business community. The campus’s location also connects Columbia Business School with Harlem and the broader New York City community.

2025 Columbia Business School MBA Class Profile

The Columbia Business School class of 2025 is made up of 900 students, 681 students in the August entry class and 210 in the January entry class.

From the latest Columbia Business School class profile, 47% are international students, 44% identify as women, and 43% identify as minorities of U.S. origin.

The average work experience is 5 years, with the middle 80% of students having 3 to 8 years of professional experience. These students came from a variety of industries, the most popular being financial services, followed by consulting and marketing/media.

Students also pursued a variety of undergraduate majors, though business, economics, and engineering take the lead in the school’s most recent report.

Joint/Dual Degrees Offered at Columbia

Columbia Business School also offers dual degrees for those interested in pursuing more than one academic discipline or area of expertise. These include:

• JD-MBA: This joint degree program offered between Columbia Law School and Columbia Business School enables students to acquire strong legal and business knowledge. Students can choose between an accelerated 3-year JD/MBA program or the traditional 4-year JD/MBA program.
• MIA-MBA: Columbia’s MIA and MBA program gives students the opportunity to earn a degree from Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Columbia Business School. Through this program, students will spend 3 semesters at SIPA and 3 semesters at the business school. 
• MD-MBA: Columbia’s MD/MBA program is designed for those interested in pursuing leadership positions within healthcare. This is a dual degree program between Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Columbia Business School.
• MBA-MPH: This dual degree program between Columbia Business School and the Mailman School of Public Health prepares students to enter leadership careers within public health. Most students can anticipate completing most of the MPH in their year of residence at the Mailman School.

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