Columbia University Acceptance Rate 2023: Graduate Admission Statistics, Regular vs Early Decision UG Admissions

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Columbia University has an overall acceptance rate of 7%, with a 3.73% regular decision acceptance rate and a 10.31% early decision acceptance rate. Columbia University received 60,377 applications for the Class of 2026. Columbia's Class of 2026 acceptance rate of 3.73% was almost equal to the previous year's (class of 2025) acceptance rate of 3.66%.

Admission to Columbia University is difficult, especially considering the university's acceptance rate, which is one of the lowest in the world. Columbia University received 54,072 regular decision applications, out of which only 1,603 students were accepted. Columbia, one of the most demanding Ivy League schools, admitted only 2.96% of students in the regular admissions round.

Category	Class of 2024	Class of 2025	Class of 2026
Total First-Year Applicants	40,084	60,551	60,377
Admitted Applicants	2,465	2,218	2,253
Overall Admission Rate	6.15%	3.66%	3.73%
Early Decision Applicants	4,318	6,435	6.305
Early Decision Admissions Rate	15.05%	10.10%	10.31%

Acceptance Rate at Columbia University for UG

Between 2012 and 2022, applications to Columbia University for UG programs increased by more than 50%. Columbia University's acceptance rate has always been very competitive, with an average acceptance rate of 6%, but in 2021 the college saw an all-time low with an acceptance rate of 3.66%. Though it slighty increased to 3.73% in 2022 admissions.

Year	Applications	Accepted	Acceptance Rate
2013	33,531	2,311	6.89%
2014	32,967	2,291	6.94%
2015	36,250	2,222	6.12%
2016	36,292	2,279	6.27%
2017	37,389	2,263	6.05%
2018	40,203	2,260	5.62%
2019	42,569	2,245	5.27%
2020	40,084	2,465	6.15%
2021	63,318	2,577	3.66%
2022	60,377	2,253	3.73%

Graduate Acceptance Rate at Columbia University

The general Columbia graduate school acceptance rate is 5.1%. Admission to Columbia graduate programs requires a total undergraduate GPA of 3.0. However, admissions are handled by the field and then by a departmental committee. The Graduate Admissions Committee at Columbia seeks applicants who have demonstrated proficiency in research and writing. The most enrolled program at Columbia University are mentioned below along with their acceptance rate:

Program	Average Acceptance Rate
Master of Business Administration	22.1%
Masters in Engineering	28%
Master's in Communication	19%
Master’s in Law	11.3%
Masters in History	5-7%

Graduate Enrollment at Columbia University

The most enrolled graduate program at Columbia University are Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Professional Studies, Engineering, and Business. From 2012 to 2021, the Engineering school at Columbia has seen the most significant change in enrollment from 2,400 enrollment in 2012 to 4,139 in 2021.

Graduate Program	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Architecture, Planning, & Preservation	786	788	706	784	809	798	783	726	779	798
Arts	838	841	852	864	878	877	862	837	875	850
Business	2,146	2,152	2,207	2,252	2,295	2,310	2,281	2,191	2,325	2,396
Engineering	2,885	3,101	3,263	3,435	3,553	3,914	4,176	4,139	5,035	5,512
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences	3,315	3,448	3,469	3,488	3,706	3,764	3,857	3,397	3,513	3,679
International & Public Affairs	1,352	1,410	1,333	1,325	1,416	1,409	1,298	1,062	1,294	1,526
Journalism	401	384	434	412	361	363	357	255	412	299
Law	1,568	1,528	1,547	1,634	1,638	1,637	1,617	1,383	1,781	1,717
Professional Studies	2,268	2,352	2,514	3,039	3,423	3,551	3,709	3,189	3,844	4,021
Studies Social Work	934	906	900	990	1,116	1,063	986	1,093	1,151	1,185
Total	16,493	16,910	17,225	18,223	19,195	19,686	19,926	18,272	21,098	22,063

International students make up 12% of Columbia University’s incoming class. Most of those students come from China, India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Columbia University's admissions process is highly competitive, with a low acceptance rate. However, Columbia has a holistic admissions procedure that takes into account things other than grades and test scores. Strong application essays and glowing letters of recommendation, as well as participation in significant extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule, can all help your application.