Columbia University in the City of New York (Columbia University) is a private research university in Manhattan, New York City and one of the eight members of the Ivy League. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution. It was founded in 1754 as King's College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain, and is one of only three United States universities to have been established under such authority. Today the University operates four global centers overseas in Amman, Jordan; Beijing, China; Paris, France; and Mumbai, India.

Columbia annually administers the American literary award, the Pulitzer Prize, and is one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities. Columbia is ranked first (tied with MIT and Stanford University) in the first tier of the United States' top research universities by the Center for Measuring University Performance, which takes into account total research, federal research, endowment assets, annual giving, National Academy members, faculty awards, doctorates granted, postdoctoral appointees, and undergraduate SAT/ACT range. Columbia sends approximately 90% of its undergraduates to graduate school in virtually every academic, professional and vocational field.