Columbia University SAT Scores and GPA

What are Columbia University's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Columbia University. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: New York, NY

You're applying to a very selective school. Want to get a perfect 1600 SAT score?

Read our famous guide on how to get a perfect score, written by our perfect scorer and Harvard graduate, Allen Cheng. You'll learn what it takes to achieve perfection, with strategies you can use to prep more effectively.

Columbia University Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Columbia University.


Average SAT: 1524

The average SAT score composite at Columbia University is a 1524.

image description

Columbia University SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1500, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1560.

In other words, a 1500 places you below average, while a 1560 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Columbia University, but they really want to see at least a 1500 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SectionAverage25th Percentile75th Percentile
Math775760800
Reading + Writing749730770
Composite152415001560

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your SAT score by 160 points? image description

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.



Average GPA: 4.15

The average GPA at Columbia University is 4.15. This makes Columbia University Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

image description

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)

With a GPA of 4.15, Columbia University requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4.15, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.



Admissions Rate: 4%

The acceptance rate at Columbia University is 4%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 4 are admitted.

image description

This means the school is very selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.



Final Admissions Verdict

image description

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT and a 4.15 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1524 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.


image description
Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Columbia University?
Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score
Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.
How would your chances improve with a better score?

Try to take your current SAT score and add 160 points to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT prep program. We guarantee an improvement of 160 points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT prep program. Click to learn more about our program, or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:


Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Columbia University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Columbia University.


image description

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Columbia University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 1540 35
Yale University New Haven, CT 1540 34
University of Chicago Chicago, IL 1540 35

image description

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Columbia University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 1540 35
Brown University Providence, RI 1540 35
Princeton University Princeton, NJ 1518 34
Emory University Atlanta, GA 1484 33
Georgetown University Washington, DC 1480 33
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 1470 33
Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 1435 32

image description

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Columbia University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Columbia University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Binghamton University Binghamton, NY 1430 31
University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 1415 31
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 1405 31

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


If You Liked Our Advice...

Visit our blog for free strategy guides on college admissions and test prep.

Our experts have written hundreds of useful articles on improving your SAT score and getting into college. You'll definitely find something useful here.

Visit our blog now.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.

Get Free SAT Tips to Boost Your Score
100% Privacy. No spam ever.

You should definitely follow us on social media. You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks: