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#21 Best Colleges in America

Columbia Admission Requirements

New York, New York

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Chances of getting into Columbia University in the City of New York

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
4%
Admission Difficulty for Columbia University in the City of New York
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Elite 
Applicant Competition Extreme 
How hard is it to get into Columbia and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at Columbia is 4%.  It ranks #2 in New York and #6 in the nation for lowest rate of acceptance. Columbia is extremely competitive school to get into with a very low chance of acceptance - even for applicants with the highest scores and grades. Last year, 2,524 out of 61,110 applicants were admitted.

The school has exceptionally high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 2 percent on standardized admission tests. Columbia University in the City of New York typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.91. Of those applicants who were admitted, 65% enrolled. With over half of admitted students enrolling, acceptance by Columbia University in the City of New York is a prized outcome for many students.

The Columbia application fee is $85 and applications are due by Jan 1.

Admission Requirements in Brief

To have the best chance of getting into to Columbia University in the City of New York you should:

  • Have a high school GPA of 3.91 or better
  • Earn A- grades in high school
  • Score 1520 on the SAT
  • Score 34 on the ACT
  • Submit letters of recommendation from your teachers

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Columbia University in the City of New York. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 43% of students submitted SAT scores and 28% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

Columbia SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1470-1570
Applicants Submitting SAT 
43%
SAT Scores for Columbia University in the City of New York
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 720
SAT Math 25th 750
SAT Composite 25th 1470
SAT Scores for Columbia University in the City of New York
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 770
SAT Math 75th 800
SAT Composite 75th 1570
Average SAT Score 1520

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Columbia University in the City of New York?

Columbia University in the City of New York is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into Columbia University in the City of New York score in the top 2 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1470-1570.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

Columbia University in the City of New York admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1570 and Above Good >7%
1520 to 1570 Avg + 4%-7%
1470 to 1520 Avg - 2%-4%
1420 to 1470 Reach 1%-2%
Less than 1420 Low <1%
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Columbia ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
34-35 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
28%
ACT Scores for Columbia University in the City of New York
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 35
ACT Math 25th 32
ACT Composite 25th 34
ACT Scores for Columbia University in the City of New York
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 36
ACT Math 75th 35
ACT Composite 75th 35
Average ACT Score 34

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Columbia?

Columbia University in the City of New York is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

Columbia regularly accepts students who score 34 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 1 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 34-35.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Columbia University in the City of New York admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
35 and Above Good >13%
34 to 35 Avg + 4%-13%
34 to 34 Avg - 4%-4%
34 to 34 Reach 4%-4%
Less than 34 Low <4%
Calculate My Chances 

Columbia GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.91*
Typical High School Grades 
A-

What GPA do you need to get into Columbia University in the City of New York?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into Columbia. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Columbia University in the City of New York was 3.91 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #11 in New York for highest average GPA. Given the school's very highly selective admissions, acceptance at Columbia extremely difficult and unlikely even with a 3.91 GPA. The school should be considered a reach even if you have a 3.91 GPA.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.91 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

Applying

Admission Statistics

Columbia University in the City of New York admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 35,647 25,463 61,110
Accepted 1,293 1,231 2,524
Acceptance Rate 4% 5% 4%
Enrolled 833 808 1,641
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 64% 66% 65%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Jan 1, 2023
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 1, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Columbia University in the City of New York is $85.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Columbia University in the City of New York and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Columbia University in the City of New York Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Recommended
High School Class Rank Recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Required
Recommendations Required
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at Columbia University in the City of New York
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit No
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=190150 IPEDS survey data for Columbia University in the City of New York.

FAQs

Does Columbia University in the City of New York prefer SAT or ACT?

43% of students submit their SAT scores to Columbia. 28% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into Columbia University in the City of New York?

4% of those who apply are granted admission to Columbia. Admission competition is extreme and the college has elite admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for Columbia University in the City of New York?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1470 and 1570. 43% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for Columbia University in the City of New York?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 34 and 35. 28% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.