Columbia Becomes Final Ivy to Reinstate SAT/ACT Requirements for 2027-28 Cycle

Columbia University has announced it will reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate admissions, becoming the final Ivy League institution to end its test-optional policy that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The university will require SAT or ACT scores from applicants beginning in August 2027 for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle, according to official university communications and reporting from Higher Ed Dive.

The announcement completes a sweeping reversal across elite higher education, with six of the eight Ivy League schools already requiring test scores for the current 2026-2027 cycle, and Columbia now joining that group for the following year. According to Higher Ed Dive's June 15, 2026 report, Columbia's decision makes it "the last Ivy League college to announce an end to its test-optional admissions policy." The Columbia Spectator confirmed the timeline, noting the requirement begins "in August 2027" for undergraduate applicants.

This development marks a significant shift in elite admissions strategy, with the entire Ivy League now returning to pre-pandemic testing requirements. While Columbia will remain test-optional for the upcoming 2026-2027 cycle, the university's undergraduate admissions website confirms that "Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will reinstate a standardized testing requirement, effective August 2027 for the 2027-2028 admission cycle." The move follows similar reinstatements by Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, and other selective institutions over the past two years, signaling a broader trend away from the test-optional era that dominated admissions during the pandemic.

The policy change affects students targeting Columbia's highly competitive programs, where acceptance rates typically hover around 4-5%. With standardized testing now required across all Ivy League schools, students applying to elite institutions must prepare for a testing landscape that has largely returned to pre-2020 norms, though with continued debate about equity and access in standardized testing.