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Important Deadlines

Early Decision

Admissions application: Friday, November 1, 2024

Financial aid application: Friday, November 15, 2024

 

Regular Decision

Admissions application: Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Financial aid application: Saturday, February 15, 2025

 

Transfer

Admissions application: Saturday, March 1, 2025

Financial aid application: Saturday, March 1, 2025

 

Visiting Student Program

Spring 2025 admissions application: Friday, November 15, 2024

Fall 2025 admissions application (priority): Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Fall 2025 admissions application (final): Sunday, June 15, 2025

First-Year Applicants

Apply to join our community as a full-time first-year student to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering.

Transfer Applicants

We welcome over 125 transfer students to Columbia College and Columbia Engineering each year.

Visiting Students

Broaden your undergraduate experience with one or two semesters in the Visiting Student Program.

Columbia's Commitment to Diversity

It is important for all applicants to understand that, beyond academic excellence and preparedness, there is no one factor that determines whether they will receive an offer of admission. We do not admit students based on any single factor or to fill quotas. Rather, each application is assessed holistically based on the entirety of its substance and context. To that end, we encourage all prospective students to use their application as an opportunity to present the best and most complete version of themselves. Our dedication to academic excellence in all its facets is intrinsically tied to our commitment to diversity in its many expressions. This interplay forms a cornerstone of our academic mission.

Learn more about how we review applications

student:
Columbia student Ashley P. from Dallas, Texas

Ashley's advice: "Ask yourself, "Who do I want to become?" I applied to Columbia because I knew that I wanted to become someone who engages with and learns from the arts, someone who could reconcile ancient philosophical texts with modern issues and someone who could appreciate cultural diversity because I’d lived in a city that valued it."

Ashley
P.
Dallas, TX
Film and Media Studies, Special Concentration in Business Management
student:
Columbia student Emhyr S. from Reno, Nevada

Why Columbia? "At Columbia, there’s a true abundance of opportunities—both within campus and in the city—something that really excited me. I still got the campus atmosphere I desired to develop a strong sense of community, while very much being a part of one of the most bustling cities in the world."

Emhyr
S.
Olympia, WA
Chemical Engineering, Minor in Biomedical Engineering
student:
Columbia student Sarah S. from New York, New York

Sarah's advice: "It's crucial to keep an open mind. In my own case, for part of high school I was sure I did not want to go to a school in a big city... and then I toured Columbia, and my mind was completely changed!"

Sarah
S.
New York, NY
Astrophysics
student:
Columbia student Emily M. from Los Angeles, California

Why Columbia? "One of the biggest reasons why I chose to come to Columbia was because of how many resources are available. As a student who is first-gen, low income and coming from a single parent household, financial aid and the diversity of the student population was really important to me."

Emily
M.
Los Angeles, CA
Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering
student:
Columbia student Brian V. from Stamford, Connecticut

Why Columbia? "I chose Columbia because there are endless opportunities in our very own backyard. New York City is often called the capital of the world, and that's because of everything here—entertainment, art, business, music, internships... The list goes on!"

Brian
V.
Stamford, CT
Computer Science, Economics
Columbia students hanging out outside on Engineering Terrace
Three students stand in front of Butler library, facing the camera. They are smiling and chatting.

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Affordability and Aid

Calculate Your Cost of Attendance

How to Apply for Financial Aid

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Columbia looking for when evaluating students for admission? What are the criteria for admission?

The Columbia University first-year class of College and Engineering students is chosen from a large and diverse group of applicants. Columbia employs a holistic approach in assessing candidates in order to evaluate which students are the best matches for Columbia's unique educational experience.

In the process of selection, the Committee on Admissions considers each applicant's academic potential, intellectual strength and ability to think independently. The Committee also considers the general attitudes and character of the applicant, special abilities and interests, maturity, motivation, curiosity and whether they are likely to make productive use of the four years at Columbia.

What if I need an application deadline extension?

We understand that students personally affected by natural disasters, community disturbances or other extenuating circumstances may have challenges in completing their applications on time; they are invited to email us at ugrad-ask@columbia.edu if their application will be arriving late.

How do I track the status of my application?

Online admissions document tracking is only available during certain times in the admissions process. Applicants will receive an email notifying them how to access their applicant portal. If, at that time, you discover that any items are listed as "not received/processed," please have your school submit a duplicate copy of this missing information to us via email at ugrad-confirm@columbia.edu as soon as possible. Emailed materials will take up to one week for processing. You will have time to submit the missing credentials before decisions are released without being penalized.

Plaque which reads "In Honor of the Lenape People"

Welcome to Columbia University in the City of New York. Our campus is located specifically on the island of Manhattan, which means "island of many hills" in the language of the Lenni Lenape people. We recognize that Manhattan is part of the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Lenni Lenape and Wappinger people, who are still active members of our community throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Learn more by watching this video.

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Plan Your Visit

Academics
fact:

6:1

undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio

fact:

6,700

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering undergraduates

fact:

100+

programs of study

fact:

250+

faculty in the National Academy of Engineering, Academy of Science and American Academy of Arts and Sciences

A renowned research university

Columbia has been a place of deep intellectual curiosity and wide-ranging academic inquiry since 1754.

Explore Academics

students walking through Butler

Counselors

For educators, administrators and counselors supporting your students.

FAQs

Whether it’s finding the right program for you or navigating the application and financial aid process, we’ve got the answers you need. 

Contact Us

If you have a question that isn’t answered by this website or have updates to your application, reach out to Undergraduate Admissions directly.