Columbia University to End Test-Optional Admissions Policy, the Last Ivy League School to Do So

Despite the revival of testing requirements at some elite institutions, test-optional admissions remain widespread nationwide.

Students on the campus of Columbia University in New York City, on April 14, 2025. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

More than three years after adopting test-optional admissions, Columbia University is reversing course and will once again require standardized test scores from prospective students.

Columbia announced on June 13 that, beginning in fall 2027, first-year and transfer applicants will have to submit either SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission. The university will remain test-optional for the upcoming 2026–27 admissions cycle.