Columbia SAT & ACT Score Requirements: What You Need to Get In (2026)

Columbia University in New York City admitted just 4.29 percent of applicants for the Class of 2029, the lowest acceptance rate in the Ivy League outside of Harvard and Yale. Admitted students score in the 1520 to 1560 range on the SAT and 34 to 36 on the ACT. Columbia is also the last Ivy to remain permanently test-optional, and the only Ivy that just made tuition free for families earning under $150,000. If you are aiming for Morningside Heights, this guide walks you through the score ranges, the ED advantage, the deadlines, and what Columbia's aid program actually delivers.

Columbia SAT Score Requirements

The middle 50 percent SAT range for admitted Columbia students is 1520 to 1560, with an average composite right around 1540. A 1520 puts you at the 25th percentile and a 1560 lands in the top quartile. Columbia super-scores the SAT, considering your highest section scores across multiple administrations.

Columbia is permanently test-optional, but admitted submitters cluster in this range. If your composite is below 1500, applying without a score is usually the better play. If it is 1520 or higher, submit.

Our SAT Math practice and SAT Reading and Writing practice drills target the question types that move scores into the 1500+ range. Our SAT score calculator shows exactly how many additional questions you need to clear that bar.

Columbia ACT Score Requirements

The middle 50 percent ACT range is 34 to 36, with an average around 35. That puts the bar slightly higher than the SAT range when comparing percentile to percentile. Columbia does not have a preference between the SAT and ACT, and super-scores both tests.

If you have not committed to one test yet, our SAT vs ACT comparison walks through the differences in pacing and content emphasis.

Columbia is the Last Ivy League Test-Optional School

As of the 2025 to 2026 cycle, Columbia is the only Ivy to remain permanently test-optional. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Brown, Cornell, and Dartmouth have all reinstated testing requirements. Columbia's position:

• Scores are not required and applicants who do not submit are not disadvantaged.
• If you submit results from multiple sittings, Columbia evaluates you on your highest score in each individual section (super-scoring).
• You may take standardized tests as late as November for Early Decision or February for Regular Decision.
• Strong AP, IB, or other academic exam scores can serve as supplemental evidence of college readiness.

The practical reality at a 4 percent admit rate: admitted submitters have strong scores. If yours is in or above the 25th percentile, submit. Below it, withhold.

Columbia Application Deadlines

Columbia uses two application rounds: binding Early Decision and Regular Decision. There is no Early Action or non-binding early option.

The Early Decision Advantage

Columbia's ED admit rate has run roughly five times higher than RD in recent cycles. For the Class of 2028, the ED admit rate was 13.23 percent compared to 2.82 percent for Regular Decision. Roughly half of the admitted class is filled through ED.

Two important caveats:

• ED is binding. If admitted you must withdraw all other applications and enroll. Only commit if Columbia is your clear first choice and you have run the net price calculator.
• The ED pool is stronger. Recruited athletes, legacy applicants, and applicants from highly resourced schools are overrepresented in ED. The headline rate gap is partly self-selection. The genuine bump from applying ED is real, but closer to a 1.5x to 2x boost than a 5x boost when you control for applicant strength.

Columbia's New Tuition-Free Threshold

Columbia meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with grants and student work, no loans required. The headline policy is the new tuition-free threshold:

• Family income under $150,000: Columbia covers full tuition (with typical assets).
• Need-based aid scales for higher-income families based on the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial review.
• Incoming first-year students from low-income backgrounds receive a $2,000 start-up grant to ease the transition to college.
• About half of Columbia's incoming class receives need-based aid, with an average grant of about $77,908.
• Columbia awards more than $240 million in scholarships and grants annually.

Columbia does not offer broad merit-based scholarships. The trade-off is deeper need-based aid: for most middle-income families, Columbia's actual cost is meaningfully lower than the sticker price.

Cost of Attendance

For the 2025 to 2026 academic year:

• Tuition: $70,170 ($35,085 per term)
• Mandatory fees, housing, and food bring total cost to roughly $92,000 to $93,000

The sticker price is meaningful only if your family income exceeds $150,000 with significant assets. Below that, the new tuition-free policy substantially reduces the actual cost.

What Else Matters Beyond the Score

At a 4 percent admit rate, the score is necessary but not sufficient. About 94 percent of enrolled students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The application elements that move the needle:

• Course rigor. Admitted students typically take the most demanding course load their high school offers, with most senior-year courses at AP, IB, or post-AP level.
• The "Why Columbia" supplements. Columbia uses several short-answer prompts asking about books, ideas, and intellectual interests. Generic answers are filtered out fast. Specific engagement with the Core Curriculum and the New York City context reads as authentic.
• The reading and listening lists. Columbia asks for lists of books, films, performances, and other media you have engaged with outside of class. The lists are short but tell the committee a lot about how you actually think.
• Demonstrated intellectual depth. Columbia favors students with sustained engagement in two or three areas over students with shallow involvement in many.

For a wider view of similarly selective Ivy League schools, see our guides on Cornell SAT and ACT requirements, Penn SAT and ACT requirements, Yale SAT and ACT requirements, and Princeton SAT and ACT requirements. The score thresholds and ED dynamics overlap closely.

If Your Score Is Below the 25th Percentile

If your composite is below 1520 SAT or 34 ACT, applying test-optional is the right move. Columbia's holistic review is genuine: applicants without scores receive full consideration. Submitting a sub-1500 score does not help; it just confirms a number that the admissions office would otherwise not see.

If you have time before applying, sitting one more test under timed conditions and doing focused prep on your weakest section is almost always worth it. Most Columbia admits did not hit their best score on the first attempt.

Frequently Asked Questions About Columbia SAT and ACT Requirements

What is the average SAT score at Columbia?

The average SAT composite at Columbia is around 1540, with the middle 50 percent of admitted students scoring between 1520 and 1560.

What is the average ACT score at Columbia?

The middle 50 percent of admitted students scored between 34 and 36 on the ACT, with an average around 35.

Does Columbia require the SAT or ACT?

No. Columbia is the only Ivy League school still permanently test-optional. Applicants without scores receive full consideration. If your score is below 1500 SAT or 33 ACT, applying without scores is generally the better strategic choice.

What is Columbia's acceptance rate?

The Class of 2029 had an overall acceptance rate of 4.29 percent (about 2,560 admitted from 59,616 applicants). The Class of 2028 had a 3.85 percent rate. Recent classes have ranged between 3.7 and 4.3 percent.

Should I apply Early Decision to Columbia?

Apply ED only if Columbia is your clear first choice and you have run the net price calculator. ED is binding: if admitted you must withdraw other applications and enroll. The ED admit rate is meaningfully higher than RD (13.23 percent versus 2.82 percent for the Class of 2028), but a portion of the gap is self-selection by well-prepared applicants.

Does Columbia super-score the SAT and ACT?

Yes. Columbia evaluates you on your highest score in each individual section across all administrations. Multiple sittings can only help if you submit.

Does Columbia offer merit scholarships?

No. Columbia awards aid only on the basis of demonstrated financial need. The trade-off is deeper need-based packages: 100 percent of demonstrated need is met with grants and student work, no loans required.

What is Columbia's tuition-free threshold?

Families with annual incomes under $150,000 (with typical assets) attend Columbia tuition-free. Need-based aid scales for higher-income families based on a full FAFSA and CSS Profile financial review.

What GPA do I need for Columbia?

Columbia does not publish an official cutoff, but admitted students typically rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class (about 94 percent of the most recent enrolled class) with unweighted GPAs in the 3.9 to 4.0 range.

When are Columbia's application deadlines?

Early Decision is November 1 with decisions in mid-December. Regular Decision is January 1 with decisions released in late March. Columbia does not offer Early Action.