@chris17mom I think you can do computer science as well! It is called Columbia 3-2 engineering program, where one does 3 years at another institution and 2 years at Columbia with a guaranteed transfer to Columbia if they maintain a certain GPA. This is only for engineer, or specifically the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at Columbia. Computer Science (CS) is a major in SEAS. He should be able to do CS from Columbia if he wishes.
Certainly something to keep in mind. Check to see when the deadlines are for applying to this program. In general, these kinds of programs attract a lot of attention but not too many students finish them. If a student is pretty sure that engineering is their ultimate goal, it does not make too much sense to take an extra year but for someone who is not sure, it could provide a valuable option should engineering become the choice after a year in college.
@lb43823 and @xraymancs Thanks for the input! I told him about the program and he’s actually pretty interested! He is reasonably happy to go to the U of Richmond (it’s a nice place and they gave him an incredible offer) but his concern was that they are not tops in CS and he had really hoped for Stanford or an Ivy League school (like tons of other kids on this forum!). If he was to take this path, stick with it, and complete the program, he’d end up with a masters degree from Columbia! Not too shabby! 
We are going to visit U of Richmond next week, and we already planned to spend most of the time talking to the CS department. We will definitely be asking them about this program. It sounds like students have to plan their classes and schedules carefully, as well as keep their grades high, but I think it’s very achievable, if this is what he really wants. So glad to have found out about this!
Don’t get too excited about Columbia’s 3+2 program. There are strict GPA requirements for transfer admission to Columbia as the “2” school. It also entails an extra year of costs, and Columbia does not promise as good financial aid for 3+2 transfers as it does for frosh and normal transfers. See http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/combined-plan
In general, few 3+2 intending frosh eventually transfer to the “2” school.
@ucbalumnus So do you think the last two years at Columbia would be full pay? As far as gpa, my son is a top student, so he is capable of maintaining high grades, and one thing Richmond is known for is supporting students and tiny student to teacher ratios (like 8-1), so I think he could do it with their help, if he was determined to go that route. But 2 years of full pay at Columbia would be a big problem for me personally.
Unknown. You can try the net price calculator, but if it does not have an option for combined plan students (versus other transfers), then consider that aid will likely be worse than what it says.
The 3+2 program does not end in a master’s from Columbia; it ends in two bachelor’s degrees: one from URichmond in something (maybe physics), and one from Columbia in engineering. URichmond does have a 3-1-1 program for exceptionally well-prepared students who do 3 years at URichmond, 1 year at the partner institution to finish the BA, and then - if your fourth year work is “of good quality” - 1 year to do an accelerated master’s degree at the partner institution. It’s unclear whether they have this arrangement with Columbia and how well you have to do in your fourth year in order to be admitted to the accelerated master’s. You would probably have to complete some graduate-level work in your fourth year.
They also have a 4-2 program which is 4 years at Richmond plus 2 years at Columbia, but that one is competitive whereas the 3/2 program is guaranteed.
If he’s serious about doing this, I’ll call Columbia. People do expect to pay something to end up with a masters degree, and especially one from a good school like Columbia. I would imagine having a masters degree in Computer Engineering from Columbia would put him in a good position to get some decent job offers, so taking on some expense (he could even take some personal loans), might be more justified in this situation, than say, for an undergraduate degree from another university. But we wouldn’t want him or me to end up $100,000 in debt or anything, so it’s still got to be a manageable amount.
Also, I would have plenty of time to try to get the finances worked out beforehand. My income fluctuates, so I may not be making too much money at that time. If my income was low enough to qualify for FAFSA, perhaps we’d get more aid. (We are sort of borderline for financial aid as it is…In 2014 I made just enough to not get any federal aid, but I’m also a divorced mom with a lot of expenses, so we are not truly wealthy by any measure). I’ll be sure to talk to my CPA about this, if this looks like an option.
Thanks for the input!
I think this is what he’d be interested in. I just wonder how financial aid would work. (He has a full ride at Richmond.) Would he have to work out the cost with Columbia for year 4 and year 5? Or would year 4 still be covered by Richmond? One year at Columbia might be do-able, two years at Columbia would be a challenge, I’d have to figure something out ahead of time!
So I found this old thread that discusses the financial aspect of this. It doesn’t specifically apply to Richmond, the 3-1-1 plan, or the breakdown of which institution pays for those last 1-1 years. However I did learn that Columbia is need-blind, does not guaranteed to meet 100% of need, and does not offer merit aid. So we would probably need to have a lowish income in order to make it affordable.