Columbia University GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for Columbia University, all from its own Common Data Set 2025-26, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at Columbia University?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into Columbia University?
Columbia University’s own Common Data Set (2025-26, item C12) reports an average high school GPA of 4.25 for its enrolled first-year students (99.9% of them submitted one). A figure above 4.0 cannot be an unweighted 4.0-scale average, so compare it with your weighted GPA, not your unweighted one. Source: Columbia University Common Data Set 2025-26, item C12.
Columbia University acceptance rate
Columbia University’s Common Data Set 2025-26 (item C1) reports 59,611 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2025 and 2,946 admitted, an acceptance rate of 4.9%. That makes Columbia University extremely selective — one of the most competitive in the country. GPA is only one piece: Columbia University also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
Columbia University SAT and ACT scores
The middle 50% of Columbia University’s enrolled first-year students who submitted scores had SAT 1510–1560 and ACT 34–35 (25th to 75th percentile, Common Data Set 2025-26, item C9). A score at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who reported one.
| Test | 25th | 50th | 75th | Submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT composite | 1510 | 1540 | 1560 | 50% |
| ACT composite | 34 | 35 | 35 | 17% |
Columbia University admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2025) | 59,611 |
| Admitted | 2,946 |
| Acceptance rate | 4.9% |
| Average high school GPA | 4.25 |
| Submitted a GPA | 99.9% |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | 1510–1560 |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | 34–35 |
| Common Data Set year | 2025-26 |
Source: Columbia University Common Data Set 2025-26 · Columbia University’s Common Data Set page, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from Columbia University’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA and SAT. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if Columbia University considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.