The largest and most diverse private arts, media, and communication college in the nation, Columbia College Chicago has 120 academic programs and nearly 12,500 students. Columbia is an urban institution located in the heart of Chicago’s Education Corridor and its students reflect the economic, racial, cultural, and educational diversity of contemporary America. A Columbia education focuses on a strong liberal arts core and close interaction with a faculty of working artists and professionals. Columbia College allows students to begin work in their chosen fields in their freshman year and offers them extensive support in building and polishing their own portfolios. Columbia students are encouraged to treat the entire city of Chicago as an extended campus and a resource to further their academic and professional goals.