Apply to the College or Engineering
Columbia says students apply to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The pages read describe no separate application to Financial Economics.
Undergraduate · Columbia College
Columbia Financial Economics: a major within Columbia College, not a separate admission
Columbia College admits students to the College or to Columbia Engineering, and Financial Economics is one of the majors the Department of Economics offers within the College. The Bulletin sets out the structure: economics core courses, three finance core courses, mathematics, statistics, business and selected electives for at least 50 points. For an A-level or IB applicant, two points stand out: the Bulletin's credit rule for IB and A Level results, and Columbia's statement that the SAT or ACT will be required from August 2027. This guide claims no separate admission to Financial Economics.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Columbia says about Columbia Financial Economics
Taken from Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages and the Columbia College Bulletin's Economics entry, read on 31 October 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.
A 50-point major
The Bulletin requires 26 points in economics, 6 in mathematics, 3 in statistics, 3 in business and 12 from selected courses.
Three finance core courses
Financial Economics, Corporate Finance, and Accounting and Finance for Economics, on top of the economics core.
A credit rule for IB and A Level
The Bulletin says qualifying IB or A Level results earn college credit that exempts the Principles of Economics requirement.
SAT or ACT from August 2027
Columbia says it will require first-year and transfer applicants to submit ACT or SAT results starting in August 2027.
Official sources
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Academicsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia College Bulletin: Economicsbulletin.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: International Applicantsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testingundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages and the Columbia College Bulletin's Economics entry, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Columbia's Economics department application pages, the Business Management concentration, the course schedule, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the Bulletin says the major contains
The Bulletin describes Financial Economics as an academic framework for the role of financial markets and intermediaries in allocating capital, covering banks, asset valuation, portfolio allocation, regulation and corporate governance. Students begin with Principles of Economics and progress through intermediate micro, intermediate macro and econometrics, then take the finance core, a mathematics sequence, a statistics course and four electives from a prescribed list. The Bulletin says at least one core finance course must be taken at Columbia, and that no other departments' courses count except those listed.
Is it the right major?
Financial Economics, Economics or a joint major
The Department of Economics lists six majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Financial Economics fits if
your interest is financial markets and institutions, with accounting and business courses built in.
Economics fits if
you want the broader scientific approach to micro and macro theory; the Bulletin gives it a higher economics points requirement.
A joint major fits if
you want economics with mathematics, philosophy, political science or statistics.
Admission and testing
SAT or ACT from August 2027, and your curriculum
Columbia says that starting in August 2027, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will require first-year and transfer applicants to submit ACT or SAT results. It accepts all secondary curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications in the context of the curriculum; A Level and IB results must be submitted if they are required to complete and graduate from secondary school. Once enrolled, the Bulletin's credit rule applies. This guide states no admission score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Columbia's.
Do you want finance inside an economics degree?
The major adds accounting and corporate finance to the economics core.
Are you comfortable with the mathematics and statistics?
Both are in the 50-point structure.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says one is required 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 31 October 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 Bulletin's Financial Economics section and plan the SAT or ACT.
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 Financial Economics?
The pages read describe applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering, not to a major.
How many points does the major require?
At least 50: 26 in economics, 6 in mathematics, 3 in statistics, 3 in business and 12 from selected courses.
Can IB or A Level results give credit?
The Bulletin says qualifying IB results or GCE A Level results earn college credit that exempts students from the Principles of Economics requirement.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says it will require them starting in August 2027.
Does Columbia accept A Levels and the IB?
Yes. Columbia says it accepts all secondary curricula and reviews applications in 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 Financial Economics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, their interest in finance and economics 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.