Columbia College's mission is to prepare international and Canadian students for admission to a university by providing quality academic programs in a supportive learning environment.Canada's oldest independent international college, Columbia College has offered high school completion programs since 1936. In 1965 the College added university transfer courses to its offerings, and in the 1970s introduced an English as a Second Language Program to meet the academic needs of the increasing number of international students. In 1985 Columbia College established its reputation as Canada's premier university-preparatory school for international students and moved to downtown Vancouver from Burnaby in 1996. The College's current student body is drawn from countries around the world. The countries of the Pacific Rim are represented particularly well, and so do students from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. For over 70 years Columbia College has provided quality education to young adults who have completed their qualifications at Columbia College and proceeded to university.