The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) is the George Washington University's liberal arts and sciences college. The Columbian College bears the original name of the George Washington University when it was chartered by the United States Congress in 1821. It is the largest school at George Washington, with around 5,000 undergraduate students and 2,500 graduate students, and 42 academic departments, representing the majority of the University's instructional, scholarly and research activity.