Columbia University is welcoming its largest-ever freshman class, allaying school administrators’ concerns that two years of campus turmoil and a crackdown on US colleges by President Donald Trump would crimp enrollment.
The class of 2029 has 1,806 students, a 20% increase over last year, according to university figures released Friday. The surge followed a big jump in admissions, which one Columbia official said was due to internal worries that some applicants would balk at the tumult that has engulfed the Ivy League school and that more foreign applicants would face visa difficulties.
Instead, commitments largely held firm, said the person, who asked not to be named because the admissions process is private. Columbia, which admitted more students from its waiting list than in recent years, will be able to handle the larger group by adding instructors, optimizing classroom space options, hiring more advisers and expanding dining options, Acting President Claire Shipman told the incoming class in a letter.
“Even in the face of uncertainty across higher education, we had an applicant pool filled with bright and engaged young minds, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to invite more of them into our community,” Shipman wrote.
The Trump administration launched a sweeping attack on US universities this year, freezing billions of dollars in federal research funding and clamping down on visas for foreign students. The government accused schools from Columbia to Harvard University of mishandling antisemitic incidents on campus and went on to target their diversity programs and alleged liberal bias.
In July, Columbia agreed to pay the US government $221 million to restore $400 million in suspended research funding and safeguard hundreds of millions more than were in jeopardy.
The settlement also included agreements to hand over demographic admissions data, install an independent monitor and reduce the school’s financial dependence on international students, who make up around 40% of the student body.
The administration has been ramping up scrutiny of foreign students far beyond Columbia as the government moves to curtail immigration more broadly.
The State Department paused all international student visa appointments in late May, not long after college commitment deadlines. They were resumed in mid-June, with a stricter vetting process and additional social media scrutiny, but visa issues were still roiling many schools ahead of the academic year.
The number of foreign students entering the US slid almost 30% in July from the same month a year earlier, according to International Trade Administration data. Arrivals from India, one of the largest sources of international students at US colleges, tumbled 46%.
Faced with potential declines in students from abroad, many prominent colleges tapped their waiting lists to boost enrollment. Columbia accepted almost 400 students from its wait list, a far higher number than in recent years.
In all, Columbia accepted 2,946 applicants, over 600 more than the year before. Of those accepted, slightly more than 61% enrolled at the school, compared with 64% last year — a yardstick known as the yield rate. The proportion of international students in the new freshman class was in line with last year. Total applications were 59,616.
“All colleges that are competitive are going to increase their admit rates this year because yield is going to be a bigger concern than ever,” said James Murphy, who tracks higher education policy at Education Reform Now, a think tank. “They’re going to be hedging their bets, not just on international students but on the mountain of uncertainty created by the Trump administration.”
The class of 2029 has 1,806 students, a 20% increase over last year, according to university figures released Friday. The surge followed a big jump in admissions, which one Columbia official said was due to internal worries that some applicants would balk at the tumult that has engulfed the Ivy League school and that more foreign applicants would face visa difficulties.
Instead, commitments largely held firm, said the person, who asked not to be named because the admissions process is private. Columbia, which admitted more students from its waiting list than in recent years, will be able to handle the larger group by adding instructors, optimizing classroom space options, hiring more advisers and expanding dining options, Acting President Claire Shipman told the incoming class in a letter.
“Even in the face of uncertainty across higher education, we had an applicant pool filled with bright and engaged young minds, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to invite more of them into our community,” Shipman wrote.
The Trump administration launched a sweeping attack on US universities this year, freezing billions of dollars in federal research funding and clamping down on visas for foreign students. The government accused schools from Columbia to Harvard University of mishandling antisemitic incidents on campus and went on to target their diversity programs and alleged liberal bias.
In July, Columbia agreed to pay the US government $221 million to restore $400 million in suspended research funding and safeguard hundreds of millions more than were in jeopardy.
The settlement also included agreements to hand over demographic admissions data, install an independent monitor and reduce the school’s financial dependence on international students, who make up around 40% of the student body.
The administration has been ramping up scrutiny of foreign students far beyond Columbia as the government moves to curtail immigration more broadly.
The State Department paused all international student visa appointments in late May, not long after college commitment deadlines. They were resumed in mid-June, with a stricter vetting process and additional social media scrutiny, but visa issues were still roiling many schools ahead of the academic year.
The number of foreign students entering the US slid almost 30% in July from the same month a year earlier, according to International Trade Administration data. Arrivals from India, one of the largest sources of international students at US colleges, tumbled 46%.
Faced with potential declines in students from abroad, many prominent colleges tapped their waiting lists to boost enrollment. Columbia accepted almost 400 students from its wait list, a far higher number than in recent years.
In all, Columbia accepted 2,946 applicants, over 600 more than the year before. Of those accepted, slightly more than 61% enrolled at the school, compared with 64% last year — a yardstick known as the yield rate. The proportion of international students in the new freshman class was in line with last year. Total applications were 59,616.
“All colleges that are competitive are going to increase their admit rates this year because yield is going to be a bigger concern than ever,” said James Murphy, who tracks higher education policy at Education Reform Now, a think tank. “They’re going to be hedging their bets, not just on international students but on the mountain of uncertainty created by the Trump administration.”
You may also like
Jagdeep Dhankar vacates VP residence; shifts to private farmhouse - what about his official house?
Interesting to watch GST collections in coming months after rate rejig: Experts
Centre holds high-level meet to speed up big infra projects in southern states
BREAKING: Former Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier rival Joe Bugner dies aged 75
Woman in tears after being 'mocked' for empowering dress at Chester Ladies Day
