Dual BA Program Welcomes Record Number of Students to Fall 2021 Incoming Class

This fall, the Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) will welcome the largest class of incoming students to the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po since its launch in 2010. The Class of 2025 includes a total of 103 students, out of 638 applicants, from around the world who have committed to enrolling in the Program.

In April, GS hosted two celebratory and informative welcome events for students who were admitted to the Program. Students and their families met with key representatives from both GS and Sciences Po, currently enrolled students and alumni of the Program, as well as their fellow newly admitted students. 

“Nontraditional programs like the Columbia-Sciences Po Dual BA are growing in popularity, as students seek out college experiences that are different from the norm,” said Patrick Martinez, Assistant Director of Admissions at GS. “Over the years, the ‘typical’ Dual BA student remains the same: high academic achievers, highly adventurous, and highly ambitious.”

The Dual BA Program provides students, who typically apply during their last year of high school, with the opportunity to immerse themselves in two distinct academic, social, and cultural environments by attending classes at one of the three Sciences Po campuses in France during their first two years and later, transitioning to Columbia in New York City. As the first transatlantic undergraduate dual degree program in the United States, it offers a unique educational experience that prepares students to become leaders in law, business, international affairs, politics, and more. 

An Overview of the Fall 2021 Incoming Class

This year, the Program accepted just 19% of the record 638 applicants, with 180 applicants being offered the opportunity to interview with admissions managers. The 103 students who accepted their offers of admission will now prepare to begin studying in the fall at one of three Sciences Po campuses in France, each of which is devoted to the study of the social sciences of a particular region of the world and offers a linguistic and cultural focus. 20 students were accepted to the Euro-Asia Program in Le Havre, 32 students to the Middle East and Mediterranean Program in Menton, 61 students to the Euro-American Program in Reims, and 6 students to the Euro-Africa Program in Reims.

Incoming students make up a diverse student body, representing a total of 38 countries including France, the United States, Bangladesh, Australia, Mexico, South Korea, and many more. 30% of the accepted students are dual citizens, with the most common combinations being France and the United States, and 52% are “international” students, with no American citizenship (dual or otherwise).