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  • Taylor Ngyuen

Columbia University Vagelos College


  • Location

  • Located in New York, New York

  • 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032

  • Located a few blocks from the Hudson River and George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights neighborhood of northern Manhattan

  • A part of New York’s city landscape, among popular NY tourist attractions (listed below)

  • Areas nearby

  • Washington Heights and Inwood

  • Vibrant places in Manhattan, welcoming immigrant community, and historical sites

  • Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters

  • North, Fort Tryon Park

  • Scenery on the Hudson River

  • Met Cloisters (a collection of medieval art)

  • New Leaf Restaurant and Bar


  • Tuition

  • Full-time tuition: $62,980 per year

  • Fees: about $2,055 per year (health insurance not included)

  • Total cost: $87,510


  • Financial aid

  • Vagelos Scholarship Program

  • This program made the Columbia University Vagelos College the first medical school in the U.S. to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need with scholarships for all students who qualify

  • $150 million is supported by Dr. P. Roy and Diana Vagelos for this scholarship program

  • Financial aid for the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program (extra info)

  • Work-study

  • Federal work-study positions are available for first and second year students in the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program

  • Steinhardt-Goldman Family Scholarship

  • Available to applicants from the Washington Heights community of NYC or applicants who have “overcome significant adversity” prior to applying for graduate school

  • Diversity Scholars Program

  • Available to applicants who intend to “specialize in and advocate for the awareness, knowledge, and skills associated with diversity and inclusion during their graduate education”

  • Within the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program


  • Average MCAT

  • Median score: 520


  • GPA

  • Median GPA: 3.91


  • Application requirements

  • At least 3 full academic years at a regionally accredited college in the U.S. or Canada

  • Baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation

  • One year of English or other writing-intensive course

  • One year of Biology with labs

  • One year of Physics with labs

  • Two years of Chemistry, one of which must be Organic Chemistry, both with labs

  • Biochemistry, Statistics, and Biostatistics are highly recommended but not required

  • Applicants for the 3-year PhD-to-MD Program must have successfully defended their thesis by April 30th of the year of matriculation


  • Acceptance rates

  • Out of 7,297 applicants, 878 were invited for interview (12%) for the class of 2024

  • On average, about 3.5% of applicants are admitted each year (250 students)


  • What the school is known for

  • Research-intensive

  • Consistently ranked among the best medical schools in the nation

  • Students have MCAT scores and GPAs among the highest in the nation

  • Diverse student body

  • International leadership in education and patient care

  • Major teaching hospital affiliate, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, is ranked 5th in the nation’s hospitals

  • New York locations

  • Broadway, Empire State Building, Yankee Stadium, Wall Street, Times Square, etc.

  • A school with long history, founded in 1767

  • Lots of historical sites nearby

  • Dyckman House, Audubon Ballroom Complex, Alexander Hamilton Mansion,Trinity Cemetery, etc.

  • Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center

  • 14 story state-of-the-art building that offers students advanced technology classrooms, simulation centers, study spaces, anatomy labs, lecture halls, and an eater + view of NYC


  • Student testimonials

  • "I love Columbia P&S for all of the reasons that I thought I would when I chose to come here: the city (amazing), the people (incredibly normal), the curriculum (shorter is always better), the pure Pass-Fail grading (so no need to over study), and BALSO (lots of support, amazing people, and delicious food). There are also great opportunities to get involved and develop a very satisfying non-academic life through the P&S Club, which has everything from a dance club to a wine tasting club to limitless community service opportunities." - Sophia Koessel, 2014

  • "My journey to P&S was not the same as everyone else; it wasn’t the school I thought I would end up at when applying. However, it was the only school that gave me such a sense of community and collegiality. My interview was so relaxing if that can even be imagined of a medical school interview. The students were nice and really excited to have me at their school so much so that after about 30 minutes in I couldn’t think of any more questions to ask. About to go into my clinical year as a second-year student I’m still amazed at how people surrounding me every day and how they have made some of the most academically challenging time of my life ridiculously fun. The vast opportunities to get involved in clubs that are not all medically oriented gave me an outlet when I just didn’t want to think about class anymore. At this point I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else." - Brittney Hills, 2015

  • "Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons always seemed to offer everything I was looking for in a medical school. It was in a metropolitan area, partnered with an institution of top physicians that provided innovative care for underserved communities. This is certainly true; however, the true potential of P&S did not become fully evident until I actually arrived. During my first few months here, the students and faculty that compose P&S and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs have continuously invited me to become part of its family- a family that’s constantly offering to expand my knowledge of the medical profession, but most importantly, one that warmly supports me as I personally evolve into a caring physician. The opportunities that I have been granted are innumerable. The experiences I have been offered are indescribable. And the people that have stepped into my life and served not only as mentors, but also as friends, are simply one of a kind. P&S is my home." - Christopher Gonzalez, 2016





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