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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.
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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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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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.
Particulars | Details |
Applicants in 2024 | 60,248 |
Admits | 2,319 |
Acceptance Rate | 3.84% |
Enrollment students | 1,451(63% yield) |
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 |
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.
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% |
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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.
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 |
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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.
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% |
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Students applying for Columbia University should know the admission requirements. Here are the essential requirements that go into a college application are mentioned below.
Personal essay
High School Marklists
Teacher Recommendations/LOR
English language proficiency requirement: Submit your English language test scores for IELTS/TOEFL.
Additional supplementary materials of any extracurricular pursuits.
Personal statement of academic purpose
Proof of English language proficiency: IELTS, TOEFL, DET
Other course-specific requirements
Also Check: How to Apply for US Universities from India?
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.
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 | - |
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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.
Standardised Tests | Average Qualifying Score |
SAT(not mandatory) | 700 |
ACT(not mandatory) | 29 |
744 | |
GMAT | 650 - 650 |
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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