Columbia University
Columbia will require SAT or ACT scores starting with the 2027-28 admission cycle.
Data sourced from IPEDS · Last verified 2026-09-15. This provenance applies to the record as a whole — figures marked with a star are sourced separately, as noted at the bottom of the page.
Preparation
This is helpful preparation, not a formal admission requirement.
Admissions
How admission works here
- Where you apply
- The Common App. Common App requirements grid
- Test scores
- Submitting SAT or ACT scores is optional. Columbia will require SAT or ACT scores starting with the 2027-28 admission cycle. Columbia undergraduate admissions
- Essays
- The Common App personal essay is required. Common App requirements grid
- Recommendations
- 2 teacher recommendations, a counselor recommendation, a mid-year report. Common App requirements grid
- Portfolio
- Portfolios go through SlideRoom. Common App requirements grid
- Application fee
- $85. The Common App fee waiver is accepted. Common App requirements grid
- Deadlines
- Early Decision (binding) November 1, Regular Decision January 1. Columbia undergraduate admissions
Overall is College Scorecard's verified figure and won't necessarily sit between the separately-reported In-State/Out-of-State rates shown here, which are what My Fit uses to classify your chances.
Applying
Applying through the Common App
- Application fee
- $85
- Common App fee waiver
- Accepted
- Common App personal essay
- Required
- Portfolios collected through
- SlideRoom
- Recommendations
- 2 teacher recommendations, counselor recommendation, mid-year report
Source: Common App requirements grid, updated 2026-09-18. Anything not listed here wasn't stated in the grid, which is not the same as not required.
College-specific prompts can change each application cycle. Check the school's official application page for the latest requirements.
View official application requirementsAcademics
Flagship Programs
Career & Major Pathways
Cost
This is the full yearly cost before any financial aid. What your family would actually pay is in the Financial Aid section. Cost figures are approximate, so confirm current numbers on the college's website.
Financial Aid
What families actually paid, by household income
Average for students who received federal aid. Your own figure depends on your family's finances and the aid this school offers you.
- Under $30,000
- $4,570
- $30,001 – $48,000
- $2,275
- $48,001 – $75,000
- $5,866
- $75,001 – $110,000
- $11,782
- Over $110,000
- $50,621
College Scorecard (latest.cost.net_price.private.by_income_level.*), 2024
Every school is required to publish a net price calculator. It asks about your family's finances and returns an estimate for you specifically, which is worth more than any average on this page. Your school counselor and the college's financial aid office can also help.
Scholarships and merit aid
Columbia meets full demonstrated need but offers no merit scholarships, so the published sticker price is rarely what a family actually ends up paying.
Campus
Campus Fit
*College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) · 2024
†Columbia undergraduate admissions · 2026-27 · accessed Sep 20, 2026
‡Columbia undergraduate admissions · 2026-27 · accessed Sep 22, 2026