Admission Requirements of Columbia University for International Students
Columbia University stands as one of the top universities in New York. There are more than fifty thousand applications submitted every year for different disciplines offered by the university. However, only seven percent of them are finally approved and allocated admission to the college. The university is one of the United States’ top five populous universities in terms of international students. The home for students from more than a hundred countries has a selective admission process for entry into the prestigious institute. Here are the admission requirements for Columbia University when applying for an undergraduate degree.
English Proficiency Test Requirements
International students whose native language isn’t English, need to submit English proficiency test scores. Columbia University currently accepts the following test scores:
- 700 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section of the Redesigned SAT.
- 29 or higher on the English or Reading sections of the ACT
If you haven’t fulfilled the scores mentioned above, you would need to submit any of the following:
- 100 or above on the TOEFL iBT
- 600 or above on the TOEFL paper based test
- 7.0 or above on the IELTS
- 120 or above on the Duolingo English Test (DET)
ACT/ SAT Requirements
Columbia University is highly selective when it comes to choosing applicants for admissions. Although there isn’t a specific score set by the university, the score ranges mentioned below can improve your chances:
| Test | Score Range | Average Score Required |
| ACT | 1-36 | 31-35 |
| SAT | 400-1600 | 1470-1590 |
Tuition Fee and Cost of Living
As Columbia University is located in New York, living in the city might be expensive depending on your lifestyle. The costs given below are only an estimate and the actual fee must be verified on the university’s official website. The university also offers need-based scholarships to international students. Here are the estimated fees:
| Annual Cost | In US Dollars | In Indian Rupees |
| Tuition Fee | $57,208 | ₹ 40,04,560 |
| Living Expenses | $16,965 | ₹ 11,87,550 |
| Total | $74,173 | ₹ 51,92,110 |
The conversion from USD to INR has been made with $1 = ₹70. The cost may vary with the varying exchange rate.
Application Portal
Students can submit their applications to Columbia University through the Coalition Application, Common Application, or the Questbridge application portals. Depending on the portal you choose to apply with, you would have to follow the instructions mentioned on the portal and submit your information and other requirements such as essays.
Essay Prompts
Columbia University considers a holistic application and requires students to submit essays. These essays would act as a measure of their creativity and a reflection of themselves. Students have to answer list questions and short answer questions. The following are the prompts:
List Questions
Prompt 1:
Word Limit: 150 Words
“List the titles of the required readings from academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school.”
Prompt 2:
Word Limit: 150 Words
“List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school.”
Prompt 3:
Word Limit: 150 Words
“List the titles of the print or digital publications, websites, journals, podcasts or other content with which you regularly engage.”
Prompt 4:
Word Limit: 150 Words
“List the movies, albums, shows, museums, lectures, events at your school or other entertainments that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school (in person or online).”
Short Answer Questions
Prompt 1:
Word Limit: 200 Words
“Columbia students take an active role in improving their community, whether in their residence hall, classes or throughout New York City. Their actions, small or large, work to positively impact the lives of others. Share one contribution that you have made to your family, school, friend group or another community that surrounds you.”
Prompt 2:
Word Limit: 200 Words
“Why are you interested in attending Columbia University?”
Prompt 3:
Word Limit: 200 Words
“Please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you noted in the application.”
College Application Deadlines
The college application deadlines for applying to Columbia University are given below. Make sure you start your applications well in advance to give yourself enough time to work on your essays and avoid last-minute hassle.
| Early Decision | Regular Decision | |
| Apply by | November 1 | January 1 |
| Admission Notification | Mid-December | Early April |
Conclusion
Columbia University is highly reputable, making it one of the top choices of students. With only 7% of students admitted each year, you can be one of them. For that, you would need to stand out from the other applicants and impress the admissions panel. UniRely’s student mentors are studying in top universities around the world including Columbia University. You can sign up on UniRely for free and get to know how they got into the university of their dreams.