A verified guide to all 38 cases in the 2020-2021 Columbia case book, its concept-tag selection method, and a worked Explorer Bank breakeven example.
Updated Jul 19, 2026. Reviewed by Ned.
The packaged Columbia Business School resource is the 2020-2021 Management Consulting Association Casebook. Its six-page index lists 38 cases, not 19. Cases 1 through 29 make up the current-edition set, while cases 30 through 38 are explicitly labeled Columbia greatest hits from earlier years. The index is the book's most useful feature because each row names the industry, case type, concepts tested, difficulty, and printed page. A candidate can therefore move from a vague diagnosis such as "I need more cases" to an exact one such as "I need breakeven, graphical analysis, or customer segmentation." The page below preserves all 38 titles and converts the printed tags into a practical selection guide. The context spans government, financial services, consumer products, education, energy, media, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail, and transportation. Source: packaged Columbia PDF; inspected 2026-07-19.
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How many cases are in the Columbia case book and what do the tags do?
The 2020-2021 Columbia case book contains 38 indexed cases. Its tags identify industry, case type, tested concepts, and difficulty, letting candidates choose a case for a specific weakness instead of accumulating random practice volume. (Source: packaged Columbia PDF; inspected 2026-07-19.)
| Columbia reference fact | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Edition | 2020-2021 | Packaged Columbia PDF, inspected 2026-07-19 |
| Indexed cases | 38 | Packaged Columbia PDF index, inspected 2026-07-19 |
| Current-edition cases | 29 | Packaged Columbia PDF index, inspected 2026-07-19 |
| Greatest-hits cases | 9 | Packaged Columbia PDF index, inspected 2026-07-19 |
| Index fields per case | 5 | Packaged Columbia PDF index, inspected 2026-07-19 |
What cases are in the Columbia case book?
Each description combines only the printed title, industry, type, and concept labels. (Source for every row: packaged Columbia PDF, index on printed pages 3 to 8; inspected 2026-07-19.)
| Case and printed page | One-line selection cue |
|---|---|
| Ban the Box, p. 21 | Government impact analysis focused on creativity, structure, and brainstorming. |
| Cheers, p. 29 | Consumer-goods profitability focused on math and structure. |
| Combating Climate Change, p. 36 | Government strategy formulation with creativity and structured brainstorming. |
| Co-V(id)accinated, p. 44 | Public-sector optimization balancing priorities and dense information. |
| Dam Dam Dam, p. 59 | Energy impact analysis combining math, structure, and creativity. |
| Dizzy Fruits, p. 67 | Retail market entry with mental math and brainstorming. |
| Dust Cloud, p. 76 | Agriculture profitability focused on revenue and creative diagnosis. |
| Echo Yankee Game, p. 84 | Technology profitability with pricing strategy and math. |
| EduCo, p. 90 | Education-technology growth using acquisition logic, exhibits, and brainstorming. |
| Explorer Bank, p. 100 | Financial-services profitability with product launch and breakeven. |
| Fintech Startup, p. 108 | Financial-services opportunity assessment with graphs and mental math. |
| Funeral Homes, p. 120 | Profitability in an unfamiliar death-care industry with mental math. |
| Grocer Prepared Foods, p. 129 | Grocery profitability focused on isolating the problem. |
| Housing Authority Goes Green, p. 137 | Government investment with breakeven and creativity. |
| Insta-Famous, p. 147 | Social-media product launch with optimization and cannibalization. |
| MTA Subway, p. 155 | Transportation profitability with mental math and brainstorming. |
| NeuroNow, p. 161 | Pharmaceutical market entry with sizing, pricing, and breakeven. |
| Optic-Eye, p. 170 | Technology market entry focused on options and customer acquisition. |
| Packaging Cost Reduction, p. 179 | Manufacturing cost reduction with supply chain and mental math. |
| PanDan Diplomacy, p. 185 | Lobbying strategy formulation with creativity and brainstorming. |
| Pay Me My Money, In Cash, p. 194 | Education strategy testing endurance, creativity, and demeanor. |
| Race to 270, p. 201 | Political-election asset optimization with math structure and professionalism. |
| SeaBag Marina, p. 212 | Nautical profitability with math in an unfamiliar industry. |
| Sparkle Co., p. 220 | Retail profitability with product entry and brainstorming. |
| ST Boat Sale, p. 230 | Transportation opportunity assessment focused on clarifying questions. |
| The Greatest Show on Earth, p. 236 | Nonprofit problem solving through creativity and brainstorming. |
| The Home of Gnome, p. 244 | Media competitor analysis with sizing and customer lifetime value. |
| Timeless Watches, p. 253 | Fashion and technology market entry with sizing, creativity, and math. |
| TriBeCa Branding, p. 261 | Professional-services market entry with math and a SaaS model. |
| Alkaline Ash 2017, p. 269 | Chemicals growth using market analysis and exhibit insights. |
| Car Wash Chain 2017, p. 276 | Private-equity opportunity assessment with growth, sizing, and creativity. |
| Lion King Bank 2015, p. 284 | Banking market sizing with customer acquisition and segmentation. |
| Madecasse 2011, p. 291 | Nonprofit market entry with marketing creativity and goal orientation. |
| Pre-K Education 2017, p. 299 | Education asset optimization with supply-demand logic and multiple prompts. |
| Swedish Death Metal 2015, p. 306 | Entertainment market entry with segmentation and algebra. |
| Timber Crisis 2015, p. 313 | Manufacturing turnaround testing endurance and market fundamentals. |
| Traditional Toy Maker 2016, p. 318 | Private-equity opportunity assessment with sizing and charts. |
| Tristar Home Appliances 2017, p. 325 | Manufacturing expansion with supply chain, sizing, and mental math. |
Brainstorm a Columbia-style case from the CoachNed drill engine. Answer a real prompt and get AI-scored feedback. Free accounts include daily drills.
Worked Columbia mini-case: Explorer Bank
Explorer Bank is considering a co-branded credit card with Alpha Airlines. The case's concept labels are product launch and breakeven. For each $100 of card spend, Explorer earns $1.75 in merchant fees, $0.50 in customer fees, and $0.25 in interest, for $2.50 revenue. Processing, partner revenue share, benefits, and credit loss total $1.00 per $100. That leaves $1.50 contribution per $100 of spend before a fixed $15 monthly servicing cost per customer. (Source: Explorer Bank, printed pages 100 to 107; inspected 2026-07-19.)
Decision rule: monthly fixed servicing cost divided by contribution per $100. $15 / $1.50 = 10, so the customer must spend $1,000 per month for Explorer Bank to break even.
The tag is not the conclusion. A $1,000 threshold becomes useful only when compared with the expected behavior of Alpha Airlines customers, likely card adoption, credit losses, and cannibalization of Explorer's other cards. The book recommends the partnership if customers can consistently clear the threshold, then asks for demographic and segmentation work before launch.
This mini-case differs from the other four pages because the concept tag drives selection, the arithmetic defines a customer-level threshold, and the transfer test asks whether the candidate can recognize the same fixed-cost logic in a differently labeled case.
Who should use Columbia, and where is it limited?
Columbia suits candidates who can name a weak skill and want a searchable path to the next full case. It also gives useful breadth beyond finance, despite the school's New York context. The limitation is cognitive: a visible concept tag can reveal the intended route before the candidate structures the problem. Hide the index from the candidate during the mock, or choose the second transfer case by title only.
How should Columbia pair with CoachNed?
Use Columbia to select the first rep, then use CoachNed to test transfer in another business context. The current free window includes 1 full case plus 3 drills per day for 3 days. That free case credit works in voice mode too, so your first voice case costs nothing; beyond it, voice needs Pro, club access, or more credits. Pro is $49 per month and Annual is $249 per year. (Product terms supplied for this build, 2026-07-18.)
BainProfitability · medium
Meridian Electronics
Consumer Electronics / Appliances
Practice this case free Transfer the financial-services skill to a growth case
Run PSU Bank Mutual Fund Growth without using Columbia's concept label as a hint.
Sources
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Packaged Columbia/Columbia_2021.pdf inside coachned-columbia-case-book.zip, inspected 2026-07-19.
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Columbia Case Book article brief, dated 2026-07-17.
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CoachNed casebook collection registry and signup-first CTA wrapper, inspected 2026-07-19.
Frequently asked questions
How many cases are in the Columbia case book?
The 2020-2021 Columbia case book contains 38 indexed cases. Its tags identify industry, case type, tested concepts, and difficulty, letting candidates choose a case for a specific weakness instead of accumulating random practice volume. (Source: packaged Columbia PDF; inspected 2026-07-19.)
What do the Columbia case book tags show?
The 2020-2021 Columbia case book contains 38 indexed cases. Its tags identify industry, case type, tested concepts, and difficulty, letting candidates choose a case for a specific weakness instead of accumulating random practice volume. (Source: packaged Columbia PDF; inspected 2026-07-19.)
Is the Columbia case book only focused on finance?
Each description combines only the printed title, industry, type, and concept labels. (Source for every row: packaged Columbia PDF, index on printed pages 3 to 8; inspected 2026-07-19.)
How should I use Columbia's concept tags?
Columbia suits candidates who can name a weak skill and want a searchable path to the next full case. It also gives useful breadth beyond finance, despite the school's New York context. The limitation is cognitive: a visible concept tag can reveal the intended route before the candidate structures the problem.