Columbia University in New York

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York
Latin: Universitas Columbiae Neo Eboracensis
Former names	King's College (1754–1784) Columbia College (1784–1813)
Motto	In lumine Tuo videbimus lumen (Latin)
Motto in English	In Thy light shall we see light (Psalms 36:9)
Type	Royal (1754–1776) Private (present)
Established	1754; 263 years ago (1754)
Academic affiliations	AAU URA 568 Group NAICU
Endowment	$9.041 billion (2016)
President	Lee Bollinger
Provost	John Henry Coatsworth
Academic staff	3,999 (fall 2016)
Students	27,942 (excluding 1,928 non-degree students; fall 2014)
Undergraduates	8,410 (fall 2014)
Postgraduates	19,532 (fall 2014)
Location	New York City, New York, United States 40°48′27″N 73°57′43″W / 40.80750°N 73.96194°W / 40.80750; -73.96194Coordinates: 40°48′27″N 73°57′43″W / 40.80750°N 73.96194°W / 40.80750; -73.96194
Campus	Urban, total 299 acres (1.21 km2)
Colors	Columbia Blue and White
Nickname	Lions
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – Ivy League, EARC MAISA (sailing)
Mascot	Roaree the Lion
Website	columbia.edu

Columbia University (Columbia; officially Columbia University in the City of New York), established in 1754, is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is often cited as one of the world's most prestigious universities.

Columbia contains the oldest college in the state of New York and is the fifth chartered institution of higher learning in the United States, making it one of nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence. It was established as King's College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain and renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolutionary War. The college has produced numerous distinguished alumni. It has additionally been amongst the most selective colleges in the United States since its founding. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 5.8%, it currently stands as the third most selective college in the United States and second most selective college in the Ivy League.

A 1787 charter placed the institution under a private board of trustees before it was renamed Columbia University in 1896 when the campus was moved from Madison Avenue to its current location in Morningside Heights occupying 32 acres (13 ha) of land. Columbia is one of the fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities and was the first school in the United States to grant the M.D. degree. The university administers annually the Pulitzer Prize.