Columbia University School of General Studies

Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is the undergraduate college specifically designed for students pursuing a nontraditional path to a rigorous, traditional, Ivy League education, including students who have had a break of a year or more in their educations and those enrolled in one of our innovative dual degree programs. Most GS students have, for personal or professional reasons, interrupted their education, never attended college, or are only able to attend part time. Whether you've taken time off for personal reasons, parenthood, travel, or your career, the School of General Studies—Columbia University’s college for returning and nontraditional students—makes it possible for you to complete your degree at one of the finest institutions in the country. In fact, Columbia is the only Ivy League university with a freestanding college in which nontraditional students are fully integrated into the undergraduate curriculum. Because the average age of GS students is 26, they usually have 8 to 10 more years of experience in life than traditional college students. That means that diversity at Columbia is not only measured by ethnicity and gender, but also by experience and maturity—a maturity we find leads to great academic success. At GS, you'll join a community of students who after graduation go on to pursue advanced degrees and lead stimulating professional lives. **Mission** Our mission is clear: **to attract, educate, and support students who are nontraditional or following a nontraditional educational path, and who possess exceptional academic potential and the ability to succeed within the challenging intellectual environment that is Columbia University.** **Vision** - To be known worldwide as the premier and most innovative college for exceptional nontraditional students and students following a nontraditional educational path - To meet the full financial needs of our diverse student body and expand our social justice mission