In the heart of New York City’s Manhattan sits Columbia Business School, the graduate business school of Columbia University. As one of six Ivy League Business Schools, Columbia Business School (CBS) is incredibly competitive and Columbia admissions are some of the most selective when it comes to choosing incoming students. Warren Buffet, president of Buzz feed Jon Steinberg, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Arthur Burns are among the many famously successful alumni who came out of Columbia Business School, making it clear that the school is an ambitious choice for many who want a graduate business degree.
The superiority of Columbia Business School’s programs reflects its record for high achievement and access to top of the line resources. With a number of degree options both local and international, many talented faculty members, and access to great business connections, Columbia Business School is the way to go for motivated business students. The school is dedicated not only to developing the next generation of business thinkers, but also to cultivating new business scholars and teachers.
It’s no surprise that Columbia Business School GMAT score ranges and Columbia MBA average GPA numbers are higher than those of many other schools – but just how much do you have to study to get into this great school? In this guide we’ll tell you all about Columbia Business School GMAT and GPA scores, give you a quick introduction to the school, and summarize important information about the school so that you’ll be able to determine whether or not Columbia is the right choice for you.
Located in the melting pot of the US – New York, Columbia Business School has upheld its legacy of being one of the most popular and sought-after B-schools since 1916. One of the six ivy-league schools, CBS receives a huge number of applications every year.
Columbia MBA has an acceptance rate of 16.5% and a significantly high yield rate of 73.9%. With brilliant track-records, diverse backgrounds and noteworthy intellectual capabilities, every class of Columbia is a rich fusion of the best talents in the world.
Along with a remarkable profile, a high GMAT score plays a crucial role in Columbia Business School’s admission process, as we will see in the next sections of this article. We have also talked about the weightage of GMAT scores in an application in one of our previous articles.
In this article, we will be analyzing past trends and latest applicant-data available to us to find out a good GMAT score for Columbia Business School. Make sure that you thoroughly go through the application checklist for applying to Columbia, as you plan your next steps for making it to your dream B-school.
Let’s first analyze the 5-year trend report of average GMAT scores of the incoming class of Columbia from 2014 to 2018. Here’s a quick summary.
With increasing competition and growing popularity of Columbia business school, the candidates have to fight it out in a stiff battle to make it to this prestigious institution. Evidently, the average score of the incoming classes has consistently increased from 2015 to 2018. A significant jump in scores has been registered every year and hence we will have to keep this trend in mind while trying to figure out a good GMAT score for Columbia.
A simple 5-step process can be used to determine a good score for securing admission in your target B-school.
As per this technique, we add 20 points to the average GMAT score of the latest batch. This makes 750+ a good score for Columbia. However, for a thorough analysis, we will dig deeper into the available data from the class of 2021 to be able to understand some visible patterns which will help us further in arriving at a sound decision.
For those wanting to apply to other business schools as well here is 5-year GMAT score trend report of 50 top US and European business schools
Let’s now move to our methodology, where we take a closer look at the raw data of applicants, interviewees and finally admitted students who applied to Columbia Business School.
How to decide on a GMAT score for Columbia?
Here’s how you can decide on a good GMAT score for Columbia Business School. The CBS decision tracker page gives a comprehensive overview of details of the GMAT scores of all applicants who have updated their status on gmatclub. This data has been collated for candidates who have applied to Columbia Business School’s MBA class of 2021.
Columbia Business School looks for intellectually driven people from diverse educational, economic, social, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. Our students share a record of achievement, strong leadership, and the ability to work in teams.
Columbia Business School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, nationality, sexual orientation, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status.
MBA Student Profile — Class Entering 2021 (January and August)
| Applications Received | 6535 |
|---|---|
| Admitted | 1215 |
| Enrolled | 847, divided into 11 clusters |
| January Entry Class Size | 233, divided into 3 clusters |
| August Entry Class Size | 614, divided into 8 clusters |
| GMAT Scores (average) | 729 |
| GMAT Scores (range) | 540–780 |
| GMAT Scores (middle 80%) | 700–760 |
| Undergraduate GPA (average) | 3.5 |
| Undergraduate GPA (middle 80%) | 3.1–3.9 |
| Work Experience (average) | 5 years |
| Work Experience (middle 80%) | 3–8 years |
| At Least One Year of Work Experience | 99% |
| Average Age | 28 |
| Age Range | 23-43 |
| Age Range (middle 80%) | 25–31 |
| Women | 41% |
| International Citizens | 48% |
| Minority of US Origin | 40% |
Race and Ethnicity
The Department of the Interior via the Office of Civil Rights provides federal guidelines for maintaining, collecting, and presenting data on race and ethnicity. Columbia Business School is required to follow these standards which allow students to self-identify their ethnicity and race, with the option to select more than one race and/or ethnicity. The racial and ethnic categories listed here reflect those included in our application process, per federal guidelines. US race / ethnicity shown as a percent of US citizens and permanent residents.
| Federal Reporting Guidelines | Multi-Dimensional Reporting | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% | 4 | 1% |
| Asian American | 94 | 20% | 104 | 22% |
| Black/African American | 53 | 11% | 59 | 12% |
| Hispanic/Latinx | 42 | 9% | 42 | 9% |
| White | 274 | 58% | 315 | 66% |
| Multi-Racial | 9 | 2% | – | – |
| Did Not Report | 3 | 1% | 3 | 1% |
Federal Reporting Guidelines
The second column reflects our student demographic data as reported based on federal government guidelines. Per these guidelines, all students who identify as Hispanic / Latinx and any other race are represented as Hispanic / Latinx only. Students who identify with more than one race are represented as Multi-Race only. The columns add to 100% but may be slightly lower or higher due to rounding.
Multi-Dimensional Reporting
In the third column, we share students’ full racial and ethnic identities to more inclusively reflect the racial / ethnic groups with which they identify. As such, in the second column, students with multi-racial / ethnic identities are represented in more than one row, meaning the column add to more than 100%.
GMAT or GRE
All applicants to all Divisions may take either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Test scores (GMAT,GRE, and TOEFL) should be self reported within the application by inputting them into the test score section of the application. When decisions are made we will ask admitted students for official copies of both their transcripts and test scores. Decisions are not binding until these materials have been received.
- The GRE is administered by Educational Testing Service at numerous centers throughout the United States and abroad.
- Further information about the GMAT is available from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). There is no a minimum test score requirement for the GRE or the GMAT.
- Test scores are only one component of the admission package, and all applications will be reviewed thoroughly.
- There are absolutely no waivers for the GRE or GMAT requirements.
| GMAT Score Columbia | Applications | Interview Invite | Admitted |
| 780 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 770 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| 760 | 18 | 11 | 10 |
| 750 | 19 | 13 | 12 |
| 740 | 20 | 15 | 13 |
| 730 | 24 | 13 | 13 |
| 720 | 25 | 5 | 2 |
| 710 | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 700 | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| 690 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 680 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 670 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 660 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 650 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 640 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
- Maximum interview invites have been sent to candidates scoring in the range of 730 to 770
- For a score of 780, 3 out of 5 applicants received an interview invite. However, only 1 was finally admitted to Columbia
- The invite rate for interviews lies in the range of 52% to 65% for a score between 730 and 770, with the highest number of interview invites (15) for a score of 740
- The highest admission to application ratio is for GMAT scores 740 (65%) and 750 (63%)
- The conversion ratio (Admission to Interview ratio) is an astounding 100% for GMAT score 730 with all 13 interviewees being granted admission to Columbia
- The number of interview invites drops drastically below a score of 730
- While no one in the range of 650 to 680 received an invite, 3 applicants with a score of 690 were called for interviews and all three were finally admitted. Also, as an exception, 1 person with a score of 640 received an interview invite and successfully secured admission.
The EMBA and Ph.D. programs stress that there is no minimum score to gain admission into the school, but according to their official website, the MBA class entering in 2016 had scores that fell between 550–780, with the middle 80% ranging from 680–760. The average GMAT score was 717. As you can see, Columbia Business School GMAT scores span quite a wide range, but it’s always wise to try your best to reach at least the average score of 717. While GMAT scores are only one part of your application, it’s important to get a good score for a school like Columbia.
Applicants may also choose to submit a GRE score in place of a GMAT score, though the website only provides information on Columbia Business School GMAT scores.
Three Things to Keep in Mind about CBS:
1. Columbia Business School aims to support all kinds of students, including both those who are career-minded and those who return to school seeking a more intellectual education. The school offers an incredible number of degrees through the MBA, EMBA, Ph.D., and Master of Science programs. Each program has its own timelines, requirements, and benefits, so it’s imperative that you conduct your own research and study to figure out which program best fits your interests, needs, and schedule. Regardless of your choice, Columbia Business School is one of only six Ivy League Business schools, meaning that it may be difficult to gain acceptance. However, if you are to attend Columbia Business School you are guaranteed a critically acclaimed education.
2. Columbia Business School GMAT scores range from 550–780 with an average of 717 for this year’s entering class. Additionally, the Columbia MBA average GPA this year was 3.5. While there’s no need to get a perfect GMAT score or a 4.0 GPA, it never hurts to aim for these higher scores – they can set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool. Columbia admissions are looking for highly ambitious, intelligent, and motivated students, and you can show them you’re fit for their school through your GMAT scores and GPA.
3. Columbia Business School bases their education on a theory-to-practice structure; their mission is not only to educate students but also to prepare them for success in their future careers. Programs like the Entrepreneurial Greenhouse Program, which helps students start their businesses before graduation, and the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program, which partners ambitious students with major figures from nonprofits, are just two examples of how Columbia Business School aims to give its students a solid foundation for their future careers.
Columbia Business School is an Ivy League Business school, meaning that while getting into the school may be difficult, the effort you put in will be well worth it should you be accepted and choose to attend. You can use the Columbia Business School GMAT score ranges and the Columbia MBA average GPA as a standard against which to study, but make sure that your application is well-rounded as well. If you can show your passion for business to Columbia admissions not only through your great GMAT and GPA scores, but also through the other parts of your application, you’ve got a great chance at becoming Columbia Business School’s newest student.
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