---
name: columbia-univ
summary: Ivy League institution in Manhattan's Morningside Heights — birthplace of FM radio, the atomic pile, and 103 Nobel laureates.
read_when:
- Researching Ivy League universities and their academic specializations
- Studying the history of nuclear physics and the Manhattan Project
- Analyzing university endowments and higher education finance in the US
- Exploring journalism education (Pulitzer Prizes and Columbia Journalism School)
---

# Columbia Univ

## Historical Timeline

- 1754 — Founded as King's College by royal charter of George II
- 1767 — Awards first medical degree in the American colonies
- 1896 — Renamed Columbia University; moves to Morningside Heights
- 1900 — Founding member of the Association of American Universities
- 1917 — Ernest Rutherford achieves first artificial nuclear transmutation here
- 1942 — Enrico Fermi's team creates first self-sustaining nuclear reaction (Chicago Pile-1 project led by Columbia faculty)
- 1968 — Student protests occupy buildings; catalyst for national campus activism
- 2003 — Pulitzer Prizes awarded from Columbia's Pulitzer Hall
- 2024 — $14.2B endowment; 103 Nobel laureates affiliated

## Business Model

Columbia operates a $14.2B endowment generating ~$700M annually in investment income. Tuition and fees (~$70,000/year for undergraduates) generate ~$2.2B across its 20 schools. The university earns significant revenue from sponsored research ($1.1B in 2023), technology licensing, and the Columbia University Medical Center (one of NYC's largest employers). The Pulitzer Prize administration and summer programs generate additional income.

## Competitive Moat

Columbia's Manhattan location is irreplicable — no other Ivy League school sits in a global financial, cultural, and media capital. The Columbia Journalism School administers the Pulitzer Prizes, the highest honor in American journalism. Its 103 Nobel laureates rank it #5 globally. The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Columbia Business School produce disproportionate influence in global policy and finance.

## Key Data

- **Endowment**: $14.2B (2024)
- **Nobel laureates**: 103 affiliated (5th globally among universities)
- **Annual research**: $1.1B in sponsored research funding
- **Students**: 36,000 total (8,800 undergrad, 27,000+ graduate)
- **Campus**: 36-acre Morningside Heights campus + 180+ buildings in NYC

## Interesting Facts

- Columbia University administers the Pulitzer Prizes — journalism's highest honor — and the Pulitzer School of Journalism is the oldest in the United States.
- The university's Low Memorial Library appears in multiple Spider-Man films as the fictional 'Empire State University' — Columbia stands in for the fictional campus.
