Columbia University in the City of New York GRE requirements (2026)
GRE policy at Columbia varies sharply by school: Engineering and most Computer Science programs make the GRE optional, the Business School requires a GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE with no exemption, and individual GSAS departments set their own rules ranging from required to not required.
About Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1754 and located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. It is organized into numerous schools, including the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Columbia Business School.
QS World University Ranking 2026: #38
GRE requirement by program
Columbia University in the City of New York sets its GRE policy by program, so there is rarely a single university-wide answer. Below is each program we have checked, with its status, a link to the program's own admissions page, and the date we last confirmed it.
| Program | Status | Official source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) masters and PhD | Optional Per the SEAS application requirements, if you have taken the GRE and would like to provide your scores you may, but it is not required, and applicants who do not submit scores are not penalized in review. | engineering.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
Department of Computer Science MS and PhD | Optional The Computer Science admissions FAQ directs applicants to the SEAS application requirements, under which the GRE is not required for the 2026 cycle and may be submitted optionally. | cs.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
Columbia Business School (Full-Time MBA) MBA | Required All applicants must submit a self-reported valid GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE score with the application; the school states this is a requirement with no exemption under any circumstances. | academics.business.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), general policy masters and PhD | Varies by program GSAS does not waive the GRE requirement university-wide, but some programs do not require GRE scores, so applicants must check each program's special admissions requirements. | gsas.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
GSAS Economics, PhD PhD | Required The Economics department states applicants must take the GRE and that there can be no substitutions or exceptions. | econ.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
GSAS Statistics, PhD PhD | Optional The GRE General Test is suggested but not required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle, and no GRE Subject Test is required. | gsas.columbia.edu | Jun 2026 |
Each status was read from the program's own admissions page (last checked 12 06 2026). Policies change between cycles; always confirm on the linked official page before you apply.
Not the program you need? The status is set department by department. Use the three-step check on the is the GRE required page to confirm any program in a couple of minutes.
Should you submit a GRE score?
Where Columbia University in the City of New York marks a program Optional, a score comfortably above the program's admitted-student median can strengthen a borderline application, especially for funded or international applicants. Below that median, your effort is usually better spent on the required parts of the file. Where a program is Not accepted, do not send a score, it will not be reviewed.
Unsure where you would land? Sit a free full-length mock and convert your scaled score to its exact official percentile before you decide.