Columbia Business School is one of the most popular business schools in New York and all around the world. It has a long history of giving its business students a world-class education and a unique set of skills that help them do well in the business world.
In case you are looking to find out more about the Columbia Business School’s MBA program, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will provide you with in-depth knowledge of Columbia’s class profile of 2024 and employment statistics of the class of 2022.
General information on Columbia
Location: 665 West 130th Street, New York, NY 10027 (Tel. 212-854-1100)
Dean: Costis Maglaras
Admissions Office: 645 W 130th St, New York, NY 10027
Phone: 212-854-1961
Email: apply@gsb.columbia.edu
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn,
Columbia MBA – By the numbers
Let us dive into a few important statistics about the 2024 Columbia MBA class
| Applications Received | 6177 |
| Class Size | 844 |
| Average GMAT Score | 729 |
| GMAT Range | 550-780 |
| Average GPA | 3.6 |
| Work Experience (Average) | 5 years |
| Tuition Cost for a Single Person | $80,472 |
| Percentage of students that received a job offer | 95% |
| Median Base Salary | $175,000 |
| Median Signing Bonus | $30,000 |
| Other Guaranteed Compensation | $32,150 |
Now, let’s study in depth the 2024 graduating class of Columbia Business School:
Columbia MBA class profile 2024
Enrolment
Of the 6,177 people who applied to the Columbia MBA Program in 2024, the school decided to go ahead with 844 of them. This means that 13.66% of its applications were accepted and enrolled with Columbia.
Applications Received by Columbia – 6,177
Total Enrolled – 844
Enrolment rate – 13.66%
Diversity
Every business school cares highly about maintaining and encouraging diversity within its ranks. With the 2024 class, Columbia managed to achieve a lot of diversity. 44% of its MBA 2024 class is female and 51% of its students are international residents stemming from many different countries.
% Women in the Columbia class of 2022 – 44%
% International students in the Columbia class of 2022 – 37%
Test Scores and GPA
Columbia has some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Hence, understandably its GPA and test scores are significantly higher than those of many other schools. The average GPA of the Columbia class of 2024 is 3.6. Furthermore, the class’s average GMAT score is 729, ranging from 550-780.
Average GPA – 3.6
GMAT Score
- Average GMAT – 729
- GMAT Range – 550-780
Undergraduate Major
Among the Columbia class of 2024, more than half the students, 54%, have a background in STEM programs. 40% of the class has a background in Business (40%), and the remaining 6% has a background in Humanities.
The details are as below:
| Undergraduate Major | Percentage of Columbia class of 2024 |
| Business | 33% |
| Economic | 20% |
| Engineering | 16% |
| Social Sciences | 12% |
| Sciences | 8% |
| Humanities | 6% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Other | 2% |
(Figure may not total 100% due to rounding)
Pre-MBA industry of 2022 Columbia MBA class
The students of the Columbia MBA class of 2024 have an average work experience of 5 years. 29% of the class has a background in Financial Services, while another 20% has a background in Consulting. 11% of the class also had a Marketing and media background.
More details are in the table below:
| Pre-MBA industry | % Of Columbia class of 2024 |
| Financial Services | 29% |
| Consulting | 22% |
| Marketing/Media | 11% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Other | 8% |
| Healthcare | 5% |
| Military/Government | 5% |
| Real Estate | 5% |
| Non-Profit | 4% |
| Energy | 2% |
MBA Application Deadlines
The application dates for the MBA Class of 2026 (incoming class of 2024) are
August 2024 Entry MBA Application Deadlines
| Application Round | Deadline |
| Round 1 | September 13, 2023 |
| Round 2 | January 5, 2024 |
| Round 3 | April 3, 2024 |
January 2023 Entry Application Deadline
| Application Round | Deadline |
| Regular Decision | September 13, 2023 |
Now that you know the educational and industry background of the 2024 class, you may have a better understanding of how you compare to them. It’s important to try to match or exceed the average numbers if you are aiming to be accepted to the Columbia MBA program.
Let’s now talk about how much compensation Columbia MBA graduates receive after they graduate.
Columbia MBA Employment Statistics – Class of 2022
The Columbia class of 2022 received a median base salary of $175,000.
Below are the details:
Median Base Salary – $175,000
95% received an offer within 3 months of graduating with 92% of them accepting the job.
Employment by Industry
33.6% of the 2022 Columbia MBA class found themselves employed in Consulting. And another 36.9% found themselves a job in Financial Services, while 16% went on to pursue a career in Media and Technology.
More details are in the below table.
| Industry | % Columbia class of 2024 hired |
| Financial Services: | 36.9% |
| Consumer Finance & Analytics | 2.1% |
| Investment Banking | 16.7% |
| Investment Management | 8.2% |
| Private Equity | 4.7% |
| Venture Capital | 3.3% |
| Other | 1.9% |
| Consulting | 33% |
| Media and Technology | 16% |
| Entertainment | 1.9% |
| Fintech | 2.2% |
| Hardware / Software / Telecom | 2.5% |
| Internet Services / E-Commerce | 9% |
| Other | 0.4% |
| Manufacturing | 3.2% |
| Consumer Products – Beverages / Food | 1.8% |
| Consumer Products – Luxury Goods | 0.3% |
| Consumer Products – Other | 0.8% |
| Manufacturing – Other | 0.3% |
| Other: | 10.3% |
| Education / Government / Non-profit | 1.4% |
| Healthcare – Pharma / Biotech / Devices | 1.5% |
| Healthcare – Providers & Services | 1.1% |
| Real Estate | 3.6% |
| Retail | 0.6 |
| Other | 2.1% |
Columbia Business School MBA class of 2022 – Median Salary by industry
| Industry | Median Salary | Median Other Guaranteed Compensation |
| Financial Services: | ||
| Consumer Finance & Analytics | $170,000 | $40,000 |
| Investment Banking | $210,000 | $50,000 |
| Investment Management | $162,500 | $56,000 |
| Private Equity | $162,000 | $30,000 |
| Venture Capital | $180,000 | $40,000 |
| Other | $145,000 | $35,000 |
| Consulting | $175,000 | $30,000 |
| Media and Technology | ||
| Entertainment | $127,500 | $12,000 |
| Fintech | $165,000 | NA |
| Hardware / Software / Telecom | $140,000 | $35,000 |
| Internet Services / E-Commerce | $145,000 | $45,000 |
| Other | NA | NA |
| Manufacturing | ||
| Consumer Products – Beverages / Food | $120,000 | $39,000 |
| Consumer Products – Luxury Goods | NA | NA |
| Consumer Products – Other | $123,750 | $17,500 |
| Manufacturing – Other | NA | NA |
| Other: | ||
| Education / Government / Non-profit | $90,000 | $15,000 |
| Healthcare – Pharma / Biotech / Devices | $125,000 | $30,000 |
| Healthcare – Providers & Services | $62,745 | $6,500 |
| Real Estate | $150,000 | $30,000 |
| Retail | $130,000 | $27,500 |
| Other | $203,750 | $20,000 |
Employment by function
38.5% of the 2022 Columbia MBA class found employment in Consulting, followed by 36.7% in Finance, and 14.2% in Marketing.
More details are below.
| Industry | % Columbia class of 2024 hired |
| Financial Services: | 36.7% |
| Corporate Finance | 3.3% |
| Investment Banking | 16.4% |
| Investment Management | 8.1% |
| Private Equity | 5.3% |
| Venture Capital | 3.2% |
| Other | 0.4% |
| Consulting | 38.5% |
| Consulting | 33.2% |
| Internal Consulting / Strategic Planning | 5.3% |
| Management | 6% |
| General Management | 2.8% |
| Operations / Production | 3.2% |
| Marketing | 14.2% |
| Brand / Product Management | 7% |
| Business Development | 4.5% |
| Product Marketing | 2.1% |
| Other | 0.6% |
| Real Estate | 2.3% |
| Asset Management / Investments | 1% |
| Development | 1% |
| Other | 0.3% |
| Other Functions: | 10.3% |
| Law | 0.8% |
| Other | 1.5% |
Columbia Business School MBA class of 2022 – Median Salary by function
| Industry | Median Salary | Median Other Guaranteed Compensation |
| Financial Services: | ||
| Corporate Finance | $130,000 | $40,000 |
| Investment Banking | $175,000 | $50,000 |
| Investment Management | $165,000 | $67,500 |
| Private Equity | $160,000 | $25,000 |
| Venture Capital | $180,000 | $40,000 |
| Other | NA | NA |
| Consulting | ||
| Consulting | $175,000 | $30,000 |
| Internal Consulting / Strategic Planning | $142,000 | $27,500 |
| Management | ||
| General Management | $131,000 | $30,000 |
| Operations / Production | $126,992 | $30,750 |
| Marketing | ||
| Brand / Product Management | $134,000 | $40,750 |
| Business Development | $155,000 | $30,000 |
| Product Marketing | $147,800 | $23,700 |
| Other | $115,000 | $35,593 |
| Real Estate | ||
| Asset Management / Investments | $146,250 | $35,000 |
| Development | $150,000 | $11,250 |
| Other | NA | NA |
| Other Functions: | ||
| Law | $215,000 | $15,000 |
| Other | $68,873 | $14,000 |
Employment by Location
Majority (86%) of the Columbia MBA class of 2022 were employed by companies in North America. The remaining 14% found international job opportunities, with 7% of them with employment in Asia.
More details are below:
Location
United States – 86%
International – 14%
International
- Asia – 7%
- Europe – 2%
- Central & South America – 2%
- Africa & Middle East – 1%
Columbia MBA – Cost of Attendance
FIRST-YEAR BUDGET, 2023-2024
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $84,496 |
| Mandatory Fees | $5,633 |
| Health Insurance | $4,541 |
| Books & Supplies | $320 |
| Food & Housing | $24,822 |
| Personal Expenses | $6,246 |
| Computer Purchase | $1,000 |
| Total First Year Budget | $127,058 |
Columbia MBA Scholarships
Merit-Based
A fellowship committee within the Admissions office makes all fellowship decisions for incoming August-entry MBA students. The awards are competitive and highly selective. Your GMAT/GRE/EA scores, undergraduate GPA, work experience, future goals, recommendations, etc. are all taken into account by the committee. If not awarded a fellowship as an incoming student, full-time MBA students have an opportunity to be considered for need-based assistance.
Columbia Business School offers the following fellowships in partnership with external organizations:
Forté Foundation Scholarship:
The Forté Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of launching women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education and professional development. Forté Fellowships are awarded through Columbia Business School to admitted MBA students who demonstrate a commitment to advancing women in business. Any incoming MBA student can apply to be a Forté Fellow. In addition to a financial award, Forté Fellowship recipients are given access to professional development programs and mentoring opportunities.
The McGowan Fellowship Fund
The McGowan Fellows Program supports aspiring leaders who exemplify the spirit of William G. McGowan and the McGowan Fund. These remarkable individuals are passionate about promoting and sustaining a dynamic movement of principled leaders committed to the betterment of society.
The Fund strongly believes that—when done right—leadership transforms individuals, teams, organizations, and society. Ethical leadership requires us to be accountable not only for what we do but also how we do it. It requires people of great character to address the many challenges that will arise.
Need-Based
Columbia Business School offers partial-tuition scholarships to many qualified candidates, both domestic and international. Scholarships are mostly need-based; however, certain named scholarships have a merit component or have specific criteria designated by the donor. Details on applying for scholarships are available after admission. Students must be enrolled in the full-time MBA program to apply.
22-23 August-entry scholarship applications and related materials are due by January 18, 2022 or two weeks from the date of admission, whichever is later.
The date of admission is defined as the date on which the Admissions Office notifies the candidate via email.
Award amounts range from $10,000–$30,000 for those who qualify and based on funds available (amounts can sometimes be higher in certain circumstances). Of those who apply, about half receive a need-based scholarship and the average award is approximately $20,000. Although the percentage of recipients is high, students should not assume they will be awarded a need-based scholarship as these awards are not guaranteed. Awards are generally renewed for the second year of study.
To assess a student’s eligibility for need-based aid, the school takes into consideration all possible resources (including cash, savings, investments, money market, IRA and retirement accounts, CDs, trust funds, real estate equity, GI and Social Security benefits, income of student and spouse, other familial resources, income tax refunds, sponsorships from companies, as well as prior educational debt levels).
Final Thoughts
An MBA from Columbia Business School is undoubtedly the dream of many who aspire to pursue their MBA. But because it is one of the world’s best business schools, getting into it can be quite difficult. Although there is no proven plan to secure admission to Columbia, working diligently and religiously on your application can almost certainly improve your chances at attaining an admit. We can help put you on the path to Columbia. With our consultants, who are Columbia alumni, we will provide you with accurate guidance and advice that will benefit you during your MBA admission process. Just reach out to us and let’s get started.
