In addition to the English Language Proficiency details below, we will accept online results from the TOEFL and IELTS examinations while they remain in place in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic:
IELTS Indicator: https://www.ieltsindicator.com/
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/
TOEFL IPT Plus for China: https://toefl.cn/family-itp.php
To be considered for admission to Columbia, you must be comfortable with rapid and idiomatic spoken English. There are several different ways to demonstrate that you are proficient in English on your application.
- Your home language is English.
- Your primary language of instruction at school has been English for the duration of your secondary school career.
- You earned one or more of the following subsection scores:
- 650 or higher on either the Critical Reasoning or Writing sections of the SAT before March 2016
- 700 or higher on the Evidence Based Reading and Writing section of the redesigned SAT (beginning in March 2016)
- 29 or higher on the English or Reading sections of the ACT
If you meet one or more of the above criteria, you have fulfilled Columbia’s English Language Proficiency requirement. If you do not, you will need to take one of the following English Language Proficiency exams.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Please visit www.toefl.org for more information on this examination. A minimum score of 600 (paper-based test) or 100 (Internet-based test) is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia by the testing service, using report code 2116.
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Please visit www.ielts.org for more information on this examination. A minimum score of 7.0 is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.
- DET (Duolingo English Test). Please visit https://englishtest.duolingo.com for more information on this examination. A minimum score of 75 is necessary for admission to Columbia. Your score must be reported directly to Columbia Undergraduate Admissions.
Columbia does not accept other English Language Proficiency exams at this time.
Please note that our Required Standardized Testing policies are in addition to any testing required for English language proficiency.