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Journalism of Courage
— Jared Griffin
With early application deadlines coming closer, STEM-driven students in India often find themselves weighing two Ivy League powerhouses for engineering and applied science: Columbia University and Cornell University. Both institutions carry global prestige, outstanding faculty, and deep research credentials.
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Yet their approaches to STEM education diverge sharply. The decision ultimately depends on the kind of scientific, technical, and innovation journey one wants to pursue.
Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), known as the Fu Foundation School, is located in New York City and is fully integrated within Columbia University.
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It enrols approximately 1,700 undergraduates, 1,800 master’s students, and 850 doctoral students across its departments, as mentioned on the official website. SEAS offers 17 undergraduate programmes and maintains close academic connections with other Columbia schools, including arts, business, and public affairs.
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In comparison, Cornell University’s College of Engineering is larger in scale, with 3,051 undergraduate students and 1,426 graduate students. The college spans more than a dozen departments, covering both traditional and emerging engineering fields. Its annual research budget in engineering alone exceeds US$112 million.
Cornell continues to stand out as a research powerhouse. In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), Cornell’s total research expenditures were published in its institutional report. Its engineering division alone recorded approximately USD 199.6 million in research expenditures.
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Columbia’s financial position is also strong. As of June 30, 2024, the total Columbia University endowment was USD 14.8 billion, reflecting a healthy investment return and donor support. While SEAS (the engineering school) has been cited as having an endowment of about USD 400 million historically, that number likely represents an earlier snapshot rather than the current scale. Columbia SEAS also actively supports internal seed funding and translational research.
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Cornell’s larger research expenditure gives it an advantage in labs, infrastructure, and grant capacity. Columbia, with its massive university endowment and strong urban partnerships, may leverage resources differently, enabling more cross-disciplinary or translational projects in real time.
Columbia’s Manhattan campus offers a clear strategic advantage, placing students near tech companies, finance, healthcare, media, consulting firms, and startups. This proximity provides easy access to internships, guest lectures, hackathons, and industry collaborations, giving STEM students immediate exposure to real-world challenges and professional networks.
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In contrast, Cornell’s Ithaca campus is more remote. While this limits daily industry visibility, it creates an immersive environment with fewer distractions, allowing students to focus deeply on engineering and research. Many Cornell students pursue internships or industry experiences during breaks or the summer, but the on-campus experience remains research-intensive and self-contained.
Both schools are extremely selective for STEM/engineering applicants. While precise engineering-only acceptance rates aren’t publicly transparent, Columbia’s SEAS is known for rigorous selectivity. For the class of 2028, the University admitted 2,327 students from a pool of 60,248 applicants, representing a 3.86 per cent acceptance rate.
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Tuition and total cost of attendance for both are in similar brackets—often approaching $90,000 per year for international students after adding housing, books, and living costs. Both institutions offer need-based aid; Columbia meets full demonstrated need for all admitted students, including international.
Cornell offers aid to international students more selectively. It also offers the Cornell University Tata Scholarship, a joint initiative between Cornell University and the Tata Education and Development Trust, which aims to support Indian applicants at the University.
This scholarship was established in 2008 by Ratan Tata. The scholarship is funded by a $25 million endowment from the Tata Education and Development Trust, where every year, 20 students are shortlisted and awarded this scholarship.
Graduates from both institutions are highly sought in tech, academia, startups, consulting, and infrastructure. Columbia-trained engineers often find roles in data analytics, fintech, AI, systems in urban settings, and consulting. Cornell graduates often enter hardware, robotics, aerospace, applied research, and large engineering firms.
Both have strong alumni networks. Cornell’s alumni network is dense in engineering and traditional tech sectors. Columbia’s network is strong in urban industries and interdisciplinary sectors.
If you are a student who dreams of building deep technical solutions, pushing lab frontiers, and enjoying immersive collaboration in dedicated engineering spaces, Cornell might suit you better.
If you want to blend your STEM ambition with social impact, policy, entrepreneurship, and industry immediacy, Columbia might give you the environment to accelerate that bridge.
Both can lead you to outstanding STEM careers. Which one you pick should depend on how you want to learn, create, and connect as a scientist or engineer.
Griffin is the Creative Director, Athena Education
