Columbia Admission, Admission to Columbia, Columbia College Admissions

Columbia University is the single biggest landowner in New York City. They’ve got more land than the church. They’ve got more land than NYU (photo credit: Andrew Chen).

Located in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights, just north of the Upper West Side and just south of Harlem, Columbia University gives students the perfect blend of an outstanding Ivy League education in the greatest city of the world. With about 6,000 undergraduates, Columbia has one of the most ethnically diverse student bodies of all of the Ivy League colleges and Columbia University admissions makes it among the most competitive to get into.

Rentals of Manhattan apartments are unaffordable for most Columbia students, so nearly all undergraduates live on campus. And while this could make for a very social campus, that’s not the case here. Viewed as not PC, fraternities and sororities are in the minority at Columbia. But what’s lacking in social life is certainly made up for in all that New York City has to offer.

With easy access to all of the culture that Manhattan and the other four boroughs offer, on a Saturday afternoon students are able to attend a concert at Lincoln Center, stroll through Central Park, see the Greek sculptures at the Met, and then take a short subway ride to Broadway in Astoria to enjoy sumptuous Greek cuisine at a reasonable cost. No other metropolis has the endless opportunities that New York City offers, and perhaps that’s why there’s a question on Columbia’s supplement for applicants to list the films, performances, exhibits, concerts, shows, and lectures that they have enjoyed most in the past year. For students who would enjoy a rigorous academic experience at a premier research university, the opportunities for significant internships, the ability to have real work experience, and of course to be able take advantage of all that the Big Apple has to offer, Columbia University is the perfect place.

Applying to Columbia University means applying to either Columbia College or The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). Students at both the College and Columbia Engineering are responsible for the Core Curriculum. Engineering students are required to take classes from Columbia College’s Core Curriculum of liberal arts courses as well as core engineering courses. Columbia students love the Core Curriculum because with strong disciplines across the board, world-class professors, and small classes capped at 22 students, it gives them the chance to study courses outside of their majors.

For the Class of 2023, Columbia University Admissions received a total of 42,569 applications and accepted 2,190. This resulted in an overall acceptance rate for both Columbia College and SEAS of 5.1%.

Columbia University Admissions Statistics

Columbia University Overall Accept. Rate Regular Decision Accept. Rate Regular Decision Apps Accepted Regular Decision Apps Received Early Decision / Action Accept. Rate Percent of Class Filled by Early Apps Early Decision / Action Apps Received Early Decision / Action Apps Accepted Expected Number of Students to Enroll Total Apps Received Total Apps Accepted
2026 3.73% 2.96% 1,603 54,072 10.31% 43.6% 6,305 650 1,492 60,377 2,253
2025 3.9% 3.2% 1,708 54,116 10.1% 43.5% 6,435 650 1,492 60,551 2,237
2024 6.1% 5.1% 1,815 35,766 15.1% 46.8% 4,318 650 1,390 40,084 2,465
2023 5.1% 4.3% 1,540 36,108 14.6% 46.8% 4,461 650 1,390 42,569 2,190
2022 5.5% 4.3% 1,564 36,118 15.9% 46.8% 4,085 650 1,390 40,203 2,214
2021 5.8% 4.6% 1,534 33,303 15.9% 46.8% 4,086 651 1,390 37,389 2,185
2020 6.0% 4.8% 1,572 32,772 17.6% 44.6% 3,520 621 1,390 36,292 2,193
2019 6.1% 4.8% 1,590 32,877 18.7% 45.4% 3,373 632 1,390 36,250 2,222
2018 7.0% 5.5% 1,641 29,654 19.7% 46.8% 3,298 650 1,390 32,952 2,291
2017 6.9% 5.6% 1,710 30,405 19.2% 43.2% 3,126 601 1,390 33,531 2,311
2016 7.4% 6.0% 1,792 28,730 20.4% 45.4% 3,088 631 1,391 31,818 2,363
2015 6.9% 5.7% 1,792 31,712 19.5% 45.1% 3,217 627 1,391 34,929 2,419
2014 9.2% 7.6% 1,765 23,195 21.2% 45.4% 2,983 631 1,391 26,178 2,396
2013 9.8% 8.2% 1,857 22,587 22.5% 45.9% 2,841 639 1,391 25,428 2,496
2012 10.0% 8.4% 1,672 19,997 23.1% 44.2% 2,582 597 1,350 22,597 2,269
2011 10.4% 8.5% 1,616 18,914 24.5% 44% 2,429 594 1,350 21,343 2,210
2010 11.4% 9.6% 1,686 17,565 25.6% 43.8% 2,275 582 1,330 19,840 2,268
2009 12.4% 10.5% 1,680 15,964 26.4% 43.3% 2,156 570 1,317 18,120 2,250
2008 12.8% 10.8% 1,654 15,322 28.9% 42.1% 1,939 560 1,330 17,261 2,214
2007 12% 9.6% 1,429 14,939 31.7% 43% 1,805 572 1,330 16,744 2,001