Columbia University Acceptance Rate for International Students 2024

Columbia University Acceptance Rate: Year-wise, Enrollment Reports, Admission Requirements

Edited By M Anusha | Updated on Sep 23, 2024 10:48 AM IST

Columbia University is a private Ivy League university located in New York. It is the fifth oldest university in New York established in 1896. To enrol into this university the candidates have to surpass the challenging pool of thousands of applications. The Columbia University acceptance rate is 3.8%. This means only 4 out 100 applicants are given CU admission. Very few universities have this challenging acceptance rate in the USA after Harvard University.

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Columbia University Highlights
Columbia University Acceptance Rate 2024
Columbia University Enrollment Reports for International Students
Columbia University Acceptance Rate Trends
Columbia University Admission Requirements
Columbia University English Language Requirements
Columbia University Standardized Exam Score Requirements

Columbia University Acceptance Rate: Year-wise, Enrollment Reports, Admission Requirements

The applications for Columbia University are inclusive from around the world from diverse backgrounds. This Columbia University acceptance rate for international students is almost similar to that of the last year which is about 3.9%. With the renowned colleges’ prestige with academic excellence and research, the acceptance rate is justifiable.

The Columbia University selection process is very conditional on the admission requirements that is inclusive of the GPA and LORs. The minimum GPA required to get admission into the master's courses is around 3.0 to 3.65. The university is one of the top universities in the world as per the QS World University Ranking 2025. Read the article to learn about the details of the Columbia University acceptance rate.

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Columbia University Highlights

Particulars	Details
Year of establishment	1896
Public/Private	Private
Acceptance rate	4%
No. of Students	8,902
Student-to-faculty ratio	11:1
Application Fee	USD 85
Application portal	University Application Portal / Common App/ Coalition Application
Tuition Fee (2023-2024)	USD 65,524

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Columbia University Acceptance Rate 2024

For the class of 2028, Columbia University has received more than 60,248 applications from which only 3.8% of the students are accepted. Among the admitted students 63% have accepted the offer and enrolled into the Columbia University courses.

Columbia University Acceptance Rate for Students

Particulars	Details
Applicants in 2024	60,248
Admits	2,319
Acceptance Rate	3.84%
Enrollment students	1,451(63% yield)

Columbia University Acceptance Rate for Gender Basis (Fall 2023 UG)

Particulars	Male	Female
Number of Applicants	23,972	32,452
Percent admitted	5%	4%
Percent of students enrolled	64%	63%
No. of the students enrolled	767	817

Columbia University Acceptance Rate for Masters Courses

Even though the overall CU acceptance rate is around 3 to 4%, the acceptance rate of each individual course can vary depending on the student applications for the particular course. Here are the details of acceptance rates of a few master's courses at the CU given in the table below.

Columbia University master's Acceptance Rate

Courses	Acceptance Rate for 2023
Master of Science in Accounting and Fundamental Analysis	12%
Master of Science in Financial Economics	9%
Master of Science in Marketing Science	6.5%

Also Read: Study in USA Benefits for International Students

Columbia University Enrollment Reports for International Students

Columbia University has one of the biggest international students count than many other universities in the USA. For the fall of 2023, a number of 13,838 international students are enrolled into Columbia University for both UG and PG courses from over 160 countries.

A total of 23,246 international students and scholars are currently studying at Columbia University. One can check the international student enrollment data from various for fall 2023 given in the below table.

Columbia University Enrollment of International Students for the Fall 2023

Country	UG Enrolled	PG Enrolled
China	316	6476
India	66	1224
Canada	88	431
South Korea	149	330
France	63	225
Taiwan	14	210
UK	72	163
Indonesia	8	241
Brazil	38	130
Japan	26	144
Singapore	60	96

Columbia University Acceptance Rate Trends

If you are a student planning your admission at Columbia University, then you can have a look at the acceptance rate of Columbia University over the past few years.

Year-wise acceptance rate of Columbia University

Admission Session	Acceptance Rate
2024	3.84%
2023	3.9%
2022	3.7%
2021	4.1%
2020	6.7%
2019	5.4%
2018	5.9%
2017	6%
2016	6%
2015	6%
2014	7%

Also Read:

Stanford University	Harvard University
Princeton University	Cornell University
Columbia University	University of Pennsylvania
Cornell University	Duke University

Columbia University Admission Requirements

Students applying for Columbia University should know the admission requirements. Here are the essential requirements that go into a college application are mentioned below.

For UG admissions:

Personal essay
High School Marklists
Teacher Recommendations/LOR
Standardised Tests like SAT/ACT are optional.
English language proficiency requirement: Submit your English language test scores for IELTS/TOEFL.
Additional supplementary materials of any extracurricular pursuits.

For PG admissions:

Resume/CV
Academic transcripts
Personal statement of academic purpose
3 letters of recommendations
GRE Scores/GMAT scores
Proof of English language proficiency: IELTS, TOEFL, DET
Other course-specific requirements

Also Check: How to Apply for US Universities from India?

Columbia University English Language Requirements

International students from India or other countries where English is not the native language need to submit English language test scores to prove their English language proficiency. The accepted English language test and their scores are mentioned in the below table. Additionally, there is an exception for these language tests, Columbia University does not require any English language tests if students submit the SAT or ACT scores of required criteria for UG applicants.

Proficiency Test Scores Requirements at Columbia University

Tests/Minimum Overall Scores	Bachelor’s	Master’s
IELTS Academic	7.5	7.0 - 7.5
TOEFL iBT or iBt Home Edition	105	100
Duolingo English Test (DET)	135	-
Cambridge English Assessment	191	-

Check these out:

Harvard University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students	Stanford University Acceptance Rate for International Students
Cornell University Acceptance Rate for International Students	Princeton University Acceptance Rate for International Students
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate	Purdue University Acceptance Rate for International Students

Columbia University Standardized Exam Score Requirements

As a part of the admission process, students are required to submit standardised exam scores to meet the course requirements. For UG students the SAT and ACT exams are not mandatory at Columbia University. However, students can still submit them to showcase their academic profile. The score requirement of the GRE and GMAT will be dependent on the master's courses chosen by the student.

Minimum test scores requirement at Columbia University

Standardised Tests	Average Qualifying Score
SAT(not mandatory)	700
ACT(not mandatory)	29
GRE	744
GMAT	650 - 650

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why the Columbia university has low acceptance rate?

As the university receives more applications than the admission slots resulting in the rejection of many applicants. So this is making the Columbia university to have a low acceptance rate.

2. How is the admission selection done at Columbia University?

The academic record of the students which is inclusive of high school grades, GPA, standardised test scores, essays and LOR are given the highest importance. Similarly, non-academic factors like extracurricular activities and personal qualities or the character of the students are given the highest importance while shortlisting the candidates for admission.

3. What are SAT scores required or Columbia university?

The SAT composite score of 1490 to 1540 is the average score achieved by the UG students admitted in the Fall of 2023. So, an SAT score of a minimum of 1500 to 1520 is required to study at Columbia University.

4. What is the GPA required for Columbia University?

Most of the graduate programs at Columbia University require a GPA of 3.0 for admission purpose. Those who score lower than 3.0 may be eligible for conditional admission.

5. Is Columbia easier to get into than Harvard?

The Columbia University acceptance rate of 3.8% is almost similar to that of the Harvard(3.4%). So this does not mean it is easier to get into Columbia than Harvard. Both universities have a challenging acceptance rate for the students in the admission process.