Columbia University in the City of New York (Columbia)

Your Opinion: Is this School Hard to Get Into?
You already voted!

Columbia University in the City of New York can be found in New York, NY, a nonprofit private college which focuses on only a select few programs offered. Columbia University in the City of New York has about thirty two thousand students enrolled per year.

Students can report either the SAT or ACT exam scores at Columbia. A score within the range of 1440 - 1570 on the SAT exam, or 33 - 35 on the ACT exam is among the 25th - 75th percentile range among accepted students. By applying sampled GPA data from over 150 schools, we are able to estimate that the Columbia average GPA ranges from 4.00 to 4 for accepted students. The acceptance rate of Columbia is considered highly competitive, with only 5% of those who applied applicants being admitted. Using acceptance rate data from previous years, we can project that the Columbia acceptance rate in 2021 is going to be around 6%. You can get more information from the admissions office website at columbia.edu.

Overall Columbia Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

5.4%

The overall acceptance rate for Columbia University in the City of New York was reported as 5.4% in Fall 2020 with over 42,800 applications submitted to Columbia. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • Columbia ACT Scores: 33 - 35
  • Columbia Average GPA: 4.00 - 4

How Hard Is It to Get into Columbia University in the City of New York?

Applicant Selectivity: High

Columbia has a very competitive selection process for applicants, where most students accepted have a higher than average high school GPA and scored in the top percentiles on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT exam.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2024 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for Columbia University in the City of New York has been on a downward trend over the past few years.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 6.8%
  • 2017-2018: 6.6%
  • 2018-2019: 5.9%
  • 2019-2020: 5.4%
  • Projected Columbia Acceptance Rate 2024-2025: 5.5%

How Does Columbia Compare?

5.4%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for Columbia University in the City of New York is more than 100% lower than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
CUNY City College46.5%
CUNY Hunter College35.2%
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice40.5%
Touro College69.4%
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College43.5%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Recommended
  • High School Class Rankings are Recommended
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Required
  • Submit Recommendation Letters are Required
  • Standardized Test Scores (SAT,ACT,...) are Required
  • TOEFL Exam (Foreign Language Students) are Recommended

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants42,82345.2%54.8%
Admitted2,33249.4%50.6%
Enrolled1,46548.9%51.1%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to Columbia (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading700 - 770
Math740 - 800
Total Score1440 - 1570
ACT®Score Range
English34 - 36
Math31 - 35
Composite Score33 - 35
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.