Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
University at Albany- SUNY SUNY Stony Brook Binghamton University Harvard Yale Barnard Penn State Princeton State University of New York at New Paltz SUNY at Geneseo Cornell Syracuse| Columbia University in the City of New York | University at Buffalo | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Columbia | UB | ||
| Location | New York, NY | Buffalo, NY | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 34,782 | 32,099 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #22 | #103 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | columbia.edu | buffalo.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Columbia | UB | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,570 | $7,070 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,570 | $24,990 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,286 | $16,212 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,058 | $18,524 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,061 | $8,521 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 52% | 74% |
Admission |
Columbia | UB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 60,879 | 30,939 | ||
| Admitted | 2,404 | 20,948 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.9% | 67.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.1% | 20.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.75 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | 25/32 | ||
| SAT Range | 1490/1580 | 1190/1380 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 1, 2025 |
Academics |
Columbia | UB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 12:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Columbia | UB | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 71% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $107,600 | $58,400 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 76% | 70% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $21,500 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $222 | $201 |
Diversity |
Columbia | UB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 46% | 52% | ||
| % Women | 54% | 48% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 38% | 48% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 7% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 6% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 2% | ||
| % International | 15% | 16% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 5% |
Students |
Columbia | UB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 19% | 88% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 64% | 3% | ||
Campus |
Columbia | UB | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than UB based on total student enrollment (34,782 students vs. 32,099 students)
Columbia vs. UB Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Columbia or UB?
- Columbia University in the City of New York is 785% more expensive to attend than UB for in-state tuition ($62,570.00 vs. $7,070.00)
- Out of state tuition is 150.4% higher at Columbia than University at Buffalo ($62,570.00 vs. $24,990.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University at Buffalo than Columbia ($18,524 vs. $22,058)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University at Buffalo are 0.5% lower than costs at Columbia University in the City of New York ($16,212 vs. $16,286)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University at Buffalo than Columbia University in the City of New York (74% vs. 52%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 616.6% larger than aid received University at Buffalo ($61,061 vs. $8,521)
Columbia vs. UB Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Columbia or UB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UB or Columbia .
- The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 300 points higher than at UB (1173)
- Incoming Columbia students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UB (27)
- Accepted freshman Columbia students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at UB (3.75)
- UB has a higher acceptance rate (67.7%) than Columbia (3.9%)
Columbia vs. UB Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Columbia or UB? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UB and Columbia.
- The graduation rate at Columbia is higher than University at Buffalo (93% vs. 71%)
- Graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn on average $49,200 more per year than UB graduates after ten years. ($107,600 vs. $58,400)
- University at Buffalo students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($19,500 vs. $21,500)
- UB graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($201 vs. $222)
- More Columbia graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UB students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 70%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/