Founded in 1754 as King's College, Columbia University in the City of NewYork is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United Statesand today is one of the world's leading academic and research institutions.Columbia has more than 3,000 faculty members and enrolls nearly 24,000students, including more than 5,000 international students. The Universityspans three undergraduate schools, 13 graduate and professional schools, aschool of continuing education, four affiliated institutions, a world-classmedical center, 22 libraries, and more than 100 research centers andinstitutes.