A major declared after arrival
Columbia says students apply to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The pages read describe no separate admission to Computer Science.
Undergraduate · Columbia College
Columbia College Computer Science: core, area foundations and six electives
Columbia admits students to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering, and the Bulletin lists a Computer Science major in Columbia College. It describes a common core, a mathematics requirement, area foundation courses and six electives, with no thesis required. For an applicant the first decision is the school: Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. This guide makes no claim of a separate admission to the major.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Columbia says about Columbia Computer Science
Taken from the Columbia Bulletin entry for Computer Science in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Columbia's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Four components
A mathematics requirement, the computer science core, area foundation courses and electives.
Six electives
Three come from upper-level area foundations and the rest from the full list of upper-level courses.
No thesis required
The Bulletin says a thesis is not a requirement for the major or minor.
The SAT or ACT is required from August 2027
Columbia says it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results; it accepts A levels and the IB.
Official sources
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Academicsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia Bulletin: Computer Sciencebulletin.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testingundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Columbia Bulletin entry for Computer Science in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Columbia's department website, the full course lists and descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the Bulletin says the major is
The Bulletin says students study a common core of fundamental topics and then six electives, three chosen from upper-level area-foundation courses and the rest from the full list of upper-level computer science courses, with a plan tailored with a faculty advisor. The major has four components: the mathematics requirement, the computer science core, the area foundation courses and the electives. No thesis is required. This guide does not list individual courses and does not describe Columbia Engineering's degree, which is a separate school.
Is it the right major?
The College major beside Columbia Engineering and other quantitative majors
Columbia describes these separately, so the major is chosen after arrival. Avandy's comparison is general.
The Columbia College major fits if
you want computer science within a liberal arts College, with flexible electives.
Columbia Engineering fits if
you want an engineering degree in a different school. Avandy's Columbia College or Engineering guide covers the choice.
Applied Mathematics fits if
you want mathematical modelling. Avandy's Columbia Applied Mathematics guide covers it.
Admission and testing
Columbia College, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Columbia says students apply to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. It accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum. It says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Columbia's.
Which school do you want: Columbia College or Columbia Engineering?
The school is chosen at application.
Are you comfortable with a mathematics requirement beside the core?
It is one of the four components.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Columbia says it will require one of them from August 2027.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Columbia's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Columbia's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Columbia has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Columbia for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Computer Science entry in the Columbia Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Columbia College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Columbia College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Columbia Computer Science?
The pages read describe applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Majors are declared after arrival.
Is a thesis needed?
The Bulletin says a thesis is not a requirement for the major or minor.
Where do I find the most current information?
The Bulletin points students to the department website and its advising address.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results.
Does Columbia accept A levels and the IB?
Columbia says it accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Columbia's wording with no entry-year label. Check Columbia's pages again when Columbia publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Columbia Computer Science
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, how they weigh a liberal-arts computing major against Columbia Engineering and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.