Did you know that Columbia University has a few different campuses? You’ll be located on our Morningside Heights campus, in Manhattan's Morningside Heights, spanning 114th Street to 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam.
The best GPS address to use is:
535 West 116th Street New York, New York 10027
The closest subway station to campus is:
The 116th Street – Columbia University stop on the ⓵ train
Get public transportation directions
LaGuardia Airport offers flights within the United States and also to and from Canada. The M60 Select Bus Service from LaGuardia Airport doesn’t require a transfer, but a taxi is the quicker, less stressful option (especially if you have more luggage than just one or two suitcases). If you are arriving from a country on a different continent, you will most likely not arrive at LaGuardia Airport.
NYC Taxi
20–30 minutes
Go to the official marked taxi line and do not accept rides from other unofficial taxis.
Ride sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
20-30 minutes
Request your ride using your preferred app to Columbia University and wait for your driver at your pre-determined pick-up location. You should not request your ride before you arrive. Instead, wait until after you have collected your luggage.
Public Transportation (M60 Select Bus Service)
60–75 minutes
Buy your ticket at the Metrocard Fare Collector or Coin Fare Collector machines located at the bus stop before boarding. (A fee applies for new MetroCards.) Fares are not accepted on any bus offering Select Bus Service to speed up pick-up and drop-off, and you can enter through any open door. Make sure to keep your receipt because an auditor may check if you've paid. You can also pay using OMNY by boarding the bus and tapping your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or wearable device at the OMNY reader as you enter. View more information on using OMNY to purchase NYC bus fares. Take the bus to the 116th Street and Broadway stop.
Newark Liberty International Airport is located in northern New Jersey and offers relatively convenient access to New York City.
Taxi
40–50 minutes
Go to the official marked taxi line and do not accept rides from unofficial taxis.
Ride sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
40–50 minutes
Request your ride using your preferred app to Columbia University and wait for your driver at your predetermined pick-up location. You should not request your Uber before you arrive. Instead, wait until you have collected your luggage and/or gone through customs.
SuperShuttle
60–70 minutes
Book a SuperShuttle, a shared van service that takes multiple passengers and their baggage in a similar direction, prior to your departure. Upon arrival, follow signs to the ground transportation desk and speak with one of the airport’s ground transportation agents to schedule your pick-up.
Public Transportation
80–90 minutes
Take the AirTrain (which connects the airport's terminals to public transportation) to Newark-Liberty Airport Station. Then, take an NJ Transit train to New York Penn Station (NOT to be confused with Newark Penn Station). Your train should be either on the Northeast Corridor Line or the North Jersey Coast Line, depending on the time of departure.
Once you arrive at New York Penn Station, transfer to the uptown 1 train and get off at 116th Street–Columbia University.
NOTE: There is no elevator at the 1 station on 116th Street and Broadway. The only way to leave the station at 116th Street–Columbia University is by walking up one flight of stairs at the 115th Street exit or two flights of stairs at the 116th Street exits.
The closest accessible station to the Morningside campus is the 96th St. 1 train station. From there, an M104 bus is accessible and can take you directly to 116th St.
There is an elevator at the 34th Street–Penn Station on the south side of 34th Street, west of Seventh Avenue (at the Long Island Rail Road entrance). There are also several escalators inside the station.
John F. Kennedy Airport, also known as JFK, hosts the majority of international flights coming into New York City.
NYC Taxi
35–45 minutes
Go to the official marked taxi line and do not accept rides from other unlicensed taxis. Review taxi, car, and van service fees.
Ride sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
35–45 minutes
Request your ride using your preferred app to Columbia University and wait for your driver at your predetermined pick-up location. You should not request your ride before you arrive. Instead, wait until you have collected your luggage and/or gone through customs.
SuperShuttle
60–70 minutes
Book a SuperShuttle, a shared van service that takes multiple passengers and their baggage in a similar direction, prior to your departure. Upon arrival, follow signs to the ground transportation desk and speak with one of the airport’s ground transportation agents to schedule your pick-up.
Public Transportation
85–95 minutes
Option 1:
Take the AirTrain (which connects the airport's terminals to public transportation) to Jamaica Station.
Then, take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to New York Penn Station. Many LIRR itineraries go through Jamaica Station en route to New York Penn Station, so you can take any train on the Babylon, City Terminal Zone, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, or West Hempstead line — as long as the endpoint is New York Penn Station!
Next, transfer to the uptown 1 train and get off at 116th Street–Columbia University.
Option 2:
Take the airport's AirTrain (which connects the airport’s terminals to public transportation) to the Howard Beach–JFK Airport station.
Then, take the Manhattan-bound A train to Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal, where you can transfer to the uptown 1 train and get off at 116th Street–Columbia University.
NOTE: There is no elevator at the 1 train station on 116th Street and Broadway. The only way to leave the 116th Street Station is by walking up one flight of stairs at the 115th Street exit or two flights of stairs at the 116th Street exits.
The closest accessible station to the Morningside campus is the 96th St. 1 train station. From there, an M104 bus is accessible and can take you directly to 116th St.
There is an elevator at the 34th Street–Penn Station on the south side of 34th Street, west of Seventh Avenue (at the Long Island Rail Road entrance). There are also several escalators inside the station.
Remember to report your arrival in the United States within seven days to activate your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record. This is an important step to stay in status!
F-1 and J-1 students from countries that are eligible for Global Entry should not use a kiosk to enter the United States. Please see an immigration officer at the airport.
While traveling, make sure to have your immigration documents with you and not in your checked suitcase!
Pick up any checked luggage at the baggage claim, which comes after immigration and before customs at the airport. Your airline will make it very clear where you can pick up your luggage at your destination.
If you are entering the United States at an airport that is not in the New York City area (e.g. flying United from Osaka, Japan to San Francisco, and then connecting on a flight from San Francisco to New York City), you must pick up your luggage at that connecting point (in this example, San Francisco), take it through customs and then recheck your luggage for New York City at your airline’s desk.
If you are connecting in another country, make sure that your airline checks your baggage all the way to New York City. It will be difficult to locate your baggage if it is misplaced in another country.
Be aware of any extra fees, especially with regard to baggage, that your airline charges — especially if you are flying with a U.S.-based airline. Always check the airline’s website for the most up-to-date information regarding additional fees and maximum allowable weights for carry-on items and checked baggage. It is possible that you will have to pay extra for oversized or overweight luggage.
Before leaving for the airport, double check that you have all the appropriate documentation required to enter the United States. Depending on the time of day, immigration at U.S. international airports can take a long time. You should make sure that you’re in the appropriate line because there are typically two lines in U.S. airports: one for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and one for citizens of other countries. Unless you have U.S. citizenship, you will be in the latter line.
Keep in mind that the admission stamp in your passport should be marked F-1 D/S or J-1 D/S.
If you are arriving a few days ahead of move-in for vacation, do not enter the United States on a tourist visa. F-1 and J-1 students from countries that are eligible for Global Entry should not use a kiosk to enter the United States. Please see an immigration officer at the airport.
The earliest date you can enter the United States under F-1 status is 30 days prior to the program start date on the I-20. Make sure you always enter the United States as F-1 or J-1! If you enter under a different status, you may still be able to get it corrected without having to leave the country. For assistance with correcting your entry status, please contact the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) as soon as possible.
In select cities that have airports with preclearance facilities — such as in Shannon, Ireland and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — many flights will clear customs and immigration before boarding. Therefore, arrive at the airport early in order to leave enough time for preclearance. For more information about entering the United States using an F-1 or J-1 visa, please review Entering the U.S. page on the ISSO website.
Before landing in the United States, you will be required to fill out a customs declaration form, either in print or digitally. Read the questions carefully and answer all of them accurately and truthfully. It is illegal to bring agricultural products such as fruits or vegetables into the country — but rest assured, you will be well-fed at Columbia through your dining plan! It is also possible that the special food you want to bring from home is available to purchase somewhere in New York City.
Here is a list of things you should not bring with you.
Things that might be useful to pack include medical prescriptions, such as contacts or glasses prescriptions, and one or two recipes from home if you like to cook.
Boarding time is not the same as departure time. You typically have to be at the boarding gate 30–60 minutes before the departure time, depending on the airline. It is always better to be early for a flight!
Airlines often cooperate with one another, so you may find yourself booked for a codeshare flight operated by a different airline than the one from whom you purchased your ticket. For instance, South African Airways operates Flight SA203 from Johannesburg, South Africa to JFK, but United Airlines can also sell tickets on that same flight through a distinct flight number of UA7225. Look at which airline operates your flight to determine at which airline’s desk you should check in.
If you are connecting to another flight, check the departure boards on arrival for the most up-to-date gate information. Keep track of time using the airport’s clocks because you may be in a different time zone, and make sure to be at your gate comfortably ahead of the boarding time indicated on your boarding pass.
If your first flight is delayed to the point where you are definitely going to miss your connection, be proactive in ensuring that the airline fulfills its responsibility to get you to New York City. This could involve asking to be booked on a flight to a different New York City-area airport (e.g. Newark instead of JFK). If you are going to miss your connection, find a gate agent or airline representative and ask to be rebooked as soon as possible. If your schedule changes, please let us know so we can make accommodations for check-in. You can email us at isso@columbia.edu with any information or concerns.