MD · New York, NY · private · applies through AMCAS
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Known as Columbia
Prerequisite coursework
Verify with the school| Course | Status | Hours | Lab | Pass/fail | AP credit | Online | Community college | Notes from the school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry CHEM | Required | — | No | Case-by-case We accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | No | Case-by-case We accept online courses for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | One semester of Biochemistry, lab recommended but not required |
| Biology BIOL | Required | — | Yes | Case-by-case We accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | Case-by-case We accept online courses for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | One year of Biology with labs. For applicants whose undergraduate college accepted Advanced Placement (AP) credit to satisfy the requirement, we require one year of advanced study. This additional year must include at least one semester of the lab and two semesters are recommended. |
| Chemistry CHEM | Required | — | Yes | Case-by-case We accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | Case-by-case We accept online courses for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | One year of general chemistry with lab. For applicants whose undergraduate college accepted Advanced Placement (AP) credit to satisfy the requirement in introductory-level Chemistry, no additional upper-level Chemistry is required beyond Organic Chemistry. |
| Literature ENGL | Required | — | No | Case-by-case | Yes | Case-by-case | Yes | One year of English or other writing-intensive courses. |
| Organic Chemistry CHEM | Required | — | Yes | Case-by-case We accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 | No | Case-by-case We accept online courses will be accepted during the 2020 academic calendar and Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | One year of organic chemistry with lab |
| Physics PHYS | Required | — | Yes | Case-by-case We accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | Case-by-case We accept online courses for the 2020 academic calendar and, Spring/Summ er 2021 semesters. | Yes | One year of Physics with one semester of the lab. For applicants whose undergraduate college accepted Advanced Placement (AP) credit to satisfy the requirement in introductorylevel Physics, no additonal Physics coursework is required. |
Community-college pathways
Community college courses are accepted for students who transferred into a four-year institution. Community college credits are also accepted for students who have obtained a bachelor's degree and lack one or two of the required courses.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Admission policies, in the school's words
Please note the following information regarding coursework: The Admissions Committee at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has voted to accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses taken at schools that decided to go Pass/Fail for the 2020 academic calendar and Spring/Summer 2021 semesters. We understand some concerns about the impact on GPAs and will take this fully into consideration for future applicants. For students in schools for which Pass/Fail is optional during those semesters, we will consider each student’s situation individually. For information regarding policies and the admissions process please visit: https://www.ps.columbia.edu/education/academic-programs/md-program/admissions/apply-mdprogram
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Who can apply
- Out-of-state applicants
- Yes All applicants
- Canadian applicants
- Yes All applicants
- International applicants
- Yes All applicants
- DACA applicants
- Yes All applicants
- DACA details
- All applicants
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Interview
- Format
- Virtual, One-on-One
- Invitations sent
- August
- Typical interview day
- For information regarding the medical school interview day please visit: http://ps.columbia.edu/edu cation/admissions/intervie w-day
- Regional interviews
- no
- Video interviews
- Yes
- School's admissions page says
- Virtual interviews for the 2026-2027 application cycle
Tags are derived from the text above by keyword; read the text before relying on a tag.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Situational-judgment tests and MCAT dates
- Casper
- Not on official list source
- AAMC PREview
- Not used "We are not using PREview scores in the admissions process" source
- Latest MCAT considered
- September 12, 2026
- Oldest MCAT considered
- January 2023
Casper status comes from the school's own admissions page where it states one, otherwise from published requirement lists; PREview from the school's page or the AAMC PREview policies report. Both change between cycles. Verify with the school.
Secondary application
- Required
- Yes
- Fee
- $110
- Fee waiver available
- Yes
- Deadline
- Oct 22, 2026 October 22, 2026
- Who receives it
- All applicants
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Letters of evaluation
- Committee letter
- Preferred
- Letter packet
- Preferred
- Individual letters
- Accepted
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Waitlist and deposit
- Typical waitlist positions
- The number varies each year
- Offers made from the waitlist
- —
- Procedure
- The waitlist is not ranked and remains open until the first day of class.
- Deposit required
- No
Cost of attendance and debt
| In state | Out of state | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $77,585 | $77,585 |
| Health insurance | $5,377 | $5,377 |
| Total cost of attendance, year 1 | $114,621 | $114,621 |
89% of students receive aid. Average indebtedness of indebted graduates: $104,024.
Official AAMC counts, 2025-2026
- Applications
- 7,677 (15.3% in-state)
- Matriculants
- 138 (11.6% in-state, 88.4% out-of-state; 51.4% women)
- Applications per seat
- 56
Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Entering class 2026
- Applicants
- 7,591
- Interviewed
- 745
- Matriculated
- 140
- Women
- 48%
- First generation
- 4%
Source: the school's published class profile (page), retrieved 2026-10-13. Statistics describe one entering class and are not cutoffs.
Transfer applications
No
Mission statement
“We aspire to transform human health by driving discovery, advancing care, and educating leaders.” We do this work in service to others and our community, both locally and globally. The mission of the VP&S MD program also includes the following statements: We are committed to fostering an environment that values civility, acceptance, respect, ethics, and support (CUIMC CARES), ensuring that our staff, faculty, and students have meaningful opportunities to put these values into action. At VP&S, we strive to educate the next generation of physician leaders who will serve neighboring, national, and global communities through the lens of health equity, promoting both well-being and state-of-the-art care of patients. Experiences at VP&S will shape the future and set the standards for medicine throughout the United States and globally. Guided exposure and training will exhibit the highest principles of humanism and professionalism in their responsibilities to their patients, to their community, and to society. The values of humanism, collaboration, inquiry, transformation, growth, and wellness—both individually and collectively—inspire our every effort in pursuit of this goal. https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/academic-programs/md-program/about-mdprogram/schoolwide-values
Notes
Facts page 'Meet the VP&S Class of 2030' (entering 2026): 7,591 applicants, 745 interviewed, 140 new students, 48% female / 52% male, 3.57% first-generation, from 30 states and 49 colleges. FAQ: applicants who received offers in the 2026 cycle had GPA 3.53-4.0 and MCAT 508-528 (recorded as the MCAT range; no medians published); only the highest MCAT is considered; non-rolling decisions released in early March; premedical training must be at a US/Canadian institution. vagelos.columbia.edu fails TLS verification in the fetch tool; pages were retrieved with a plain HTTPS client.
Sources for this page
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- School website (class profile and admissions pages)
- LCME Directory - Accredited Programs
- AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/academic-programs/md-program/admissions · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/academic-programs/md-program/admissions/faqs · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/about-us/facts-and-statistics · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
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