Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City. Established in 1754, the undergraduate school, Columbia College, is the oldest college in the state of New York and is the fifth chartered institution of higher learning in the United States, making it one of nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence. It was established as King's College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain and renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolutionary War. The university has produced numerous distinguished alumni. In 2017, its undergraduate acceptance rate was 5.5%, making it the third most selective college in the United States and the second most selective in the Ivy League.