Columbia was founded as King’s College in 1754 under a royal charter issued by King George II, with its first class held in a schoolhouse connected to Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. Instruction was suspended from 1776 to 1783; the college reopened as Columbia College and later adopted a charter placing it under a private board of trustees. Columbia calls itself the oldest institution of higher education in New York.
The university has 17 schools and four affiliate schools on four campuses in and around New York City, and 11 global centers. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Trustees and the University Senate. Fall 2025 headcount enrolment was 35,978, excluding Barnard College and Teachers College. Jennifer L. Mnookin became the 21st president on 1 July 2026.