Columbia University brings back mandatory test scores for 2027 admissions

Columbia University will once again require standardized test scores from applicants, starting with the Fall 2027 admissions cycle, reversing a move made over three years ago when it became the first Ivy League institution to adopt a test-optional policy.

The university announced on its website last week that the decision followed a "multi-year faculty review," which determined that "test scores, among other factors, were a useful indicator of potential student success."

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering are returning to required standardized testing for all first-year and transfer applicants, effective August 2027 for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle. First-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll for Fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores, the university stated.

Both institutions will remain test-optional for the upcoming 2026-2027 admissions cycle.

University officials emphasized that test scores will be considered alongside a range of other academic factors when evaluating applications. These factors include students' grades, coursework, and the rigor of their high school curriculum.

Columbia initially suspended its test score requirement in 2020.

That policy was extended in 2023 with no stated end date, accompanied by a commitment to ongoing assessment to ensure admitted students succeed within their academic environment.

Students at a campus of Columbia University, March 2026. Photo from the university's Facebook page

Supporters of test-optional admissions argue that exams like the SAT and ACT do not fully capture a student's academic abilities, especially for those lacking access to expensive tutoring and test-preparation resources, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Conversely, others contend that standardized scores can help talented students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds distinguish themselves during the admissions process.

The issue has also drawn political attention. In an open letter released last year, the Trump administration encouraged universities to reinstate testing requirements as part of its broader opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, emphasizing merit-based admissions.

"It would, for instance, be unlawful for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity," the Education Department's letter stated.

In a related development, professors across the University of California (UC) system are urging the reinstatement of standardized test requirements like the SAT and ACT for STEM programs, citing widespread deficiencies in students' math skills.

The open letter, initiated by UC Berkeley mathematicians last month, has been signed by more than 1,500 professors and is addressed to the University of California, one of the leading public university systems in the U.S., comprising nine undergraduate campuses.

The letter cited a November report from the University of California San Diego Senate-Administration Workgroup on Admissions, which found that the number of first-year students with math skills below a middle-school level had increased nearly 30-fold since 2020.

According to the report, about 70% of those students performed below middle-school standards, accounting for roughly one in 12 members of the entering cohort.

Many other colleges across the U.S. continued to waive standardized tests.