The 492,000-square-foot 'Crystal Corridor'
Fast-paced, high-tech, and intensely social
Sweeping panoramic views of New York City—a top-tier luxury experience
This isn't some new luxury five-star hotel in New York
It's Columbia Business School's new campus!
How Luxurious Is Columbia's New Campus?
1. Columbia's New Campus Has an Illustrious Pedigree
As the new home for the business school, the campus is located in Manhattanville, just north of Columbia's main campus, and was designed by the renowned architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
The firm has an impressive portfolio of iconic buildings worldwide, including the New York State Theater, the Tianjin Juilliard School, and The Shed arts center in New York.
It has also been behind countless high-profile art exhibitions and projects, such as the Met Gala at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) and the expansion of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
With such a stellar team behind it, the new CBS building exudes top-notch design and technology. The entire structure features transparent glass walls, flooding the interiors with natural light and creating an airy, open feel during the day.
In an interview, CBS Dean Costis Maglaras called the building a true 'game changer,' noting that it reflects what 21st-century business should be: social, innovative, and collaborative.
Columbia also notes that the Manhattanville campus is New York City's first neighborhood development to earn the prestigious LEED-ND Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council—a clear sign of its comprehensive commitment to green concepts and sustainable technology in every corner.
2. Location of Columbia’s New Campus
The new campus sits in Manhattanville, bordering the Hudson River—once an industrial freight gateway to Manhattan Island and now a key passenger transit hub as well.
According to Columbia, the location enables students to deeply engage with the local business community, embodying the school's mission: to develop business leaders who create immense value for society and the public.
This is Columbia's largest expansion in over 100 years!
As the map shows, the Manhattanville campus is adjacent to the Lenfest Center for the Arts and the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, home to the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, which aims to exponentially expand the university's innovation and impact while offering interdisciplinary learning opportunities.
What Kind of Institution Is Columbia Business School?
After reading the above, many might be thinking: The new campus is absurdly luxurious! So how can CBS afford such extravagance? And what exactly is Columbia Business School?
1. In a Crowded Field, Columbia Always Holds Its Own
The annual U.S. News rankings are the best proof of Columbia's prowess. Beyond the overall university rankings, business school competition is always a battle of titans, and CBS consistently ranks among the top—never intimidated by any rival.
In the latest 2022 rankings, CBS tied for seventh with UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, ahead of Yale School of Management at ninth and NYU Stern at tenth. Its MBA and Real Estate programs are also standouts in the specialty rankings.
What's more, being located in New York—the world's financial capital—means that dream job destinations for countless business students are simply career launching pads for CBS students. This prime location is a top draw.
2. Columbia’s Career Resources Are Top-Notch
Some compare a CBS diploma to a ticket to the upper echelons of the financial world—a bit of an overstatement, but not without basis. CBS has its own Career Management Center (CMC), which offers students a full suite of career services—resume reviews, career planning, counseling, and more—along with top-tier job-search resources across industries.
According to the CBS 2021 employment report, the median base salary was $150,000/year—clearly a high-earning cohort. And 92% of the Class of 2021 received and accepted job offers within three months of graduation.
Take the popular MS in Financial Economics (MSFE) program: CBS data shows that 100% of its graduates landed satisfying jobs within six months of graduation.
The school also provides a wealth of high-quality summer internship opportunities that help pave the way for a smooth transition into the professional world.
3. CBS Graduates Land at Elite Firms
According to the 2021 employment report, 82.2% of graduates entered consulting, finance, and management.
CBS alumni are everywhere on Wall Street and in Fortune 500 companies. Here’s a glimpse of some firms that hired the Class of 2021:
A Look at CBS Graduate Programs
Currently, CBS offers four main graduate degree options: MBA, EMBA, MS, and PhD.
The MS programs are particularly friendly to recent graduates, so let’s take a closer look.
1. MS in Marketing Science
The MS in Marketing Science is a one-year program with a strong focus on marketing analytics. It equips students with solid data analysis skills to enter fields like media, consumer goods, retail, and financial services.
The CBS website recommends that prospective students have proficiency in at least one programming language (preferably Python or R).
There are no strict undergraduate major requirements, but here’s the breakdown of the previous cohort’s backgrounds:
2. MS in Financial Economics
The MSFE is a two-year program designed to produce finance professionals skilled in integrating quantitative research with theoretical tools. Its curriculum is rigorous, combining MBA and PhD courses, making it ideal for those who want a taste of doctoral-level study in a shorter time frame.
Most students in the program come from the following backgrounds:
As one of CBS’s most sought-after programs, its acceptance rate is only about 8%, with a tiny cohort of fewer than 25 students each year—and an even smaller number of spots for international applicants.
3. MS in Accounting & Fundamental Analysis
The MS in Accounting and Fundamental Analysis is a three-semester, interdisciplinary program that blends accounting with fundamental analysis. Because many courses are at the PhD level, it demands strong academic ability and solid foundational knowledge from its students.
According to official data, nearly 40% of enrolled students come from an accounting background.
Aiming for CBS’s Lavish New Campus? Strong Credentials Are a Must
CBS has always set the bar high; applicants must overcome numerous hurdles, showcase their full potential across all dimensions, and excel in every experience to even stand a chance of being admitted.
If you’re interested in business at Columbia, there are also many programs outside the business school—such as the MSBA jointly offered with the School of Engineering, the Engineering School’s own MSFE, the MAFN in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the AA/ERM programs at the School of Professional Studies—all are excellent options to consider.
Of course, as the nation’s second-ranked Ivy League institution, competition for any program at Columbia is fierce, and the admissions bar is high.
We hope that those aiming for business studies at Columbia will start preparing early, work hard to strengthen their profiles, and we wish everyone a smooth application season and an early offer from their dream program!
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