Columbia University Early Decision (ED) results typically come out in mid- December , usually around December 15–16 in recent cycles, in the late afternoon or evening Eastern Time.

Quick Scoop: Key Points

  • Columbia’s official Early Decision timeline states that admissions decisions are released in mid-December via the online portal.
  • For the 2025–2026 admission cycle, many college-advising sites list Columbia ED decisions on or about December 16.
  • Applicant forums for the Fall 2026 cycle describe ED results as coming out in “mid-December 2025” , which matches Columbia’s stated timeline.

How Precise Is The Date?

Columbia does not always announce a public, exact calendar date very far in advance; instead, it officially promises “mid-December” and then emails or posts a more specific time window closer to release.

External admissions-date trackers and forums narrow this to around December 15–16 , but these are based on patterns and community reports, not a permanently fixed date.

What You Should Expect

  • Expect a portal update in mid-December , typically late afternoon or evening ET.
  • In past years, applicants have reported decisions dropping in a tight window on one evening rather than spread over multiple days.
  • You will usually receive:
    • An email saying there’s an update in your portal
    • The decision and (if admitted) initial financial aid eligibility information in that same portal.

Tips While You Wait

  • Keep checking the email associated with your application in early–mid December for any notice about an exact decision time.
  • Make sure you can log into your Columbia application portal smoothly before mid-December so you are not troubleshooting login issues when decisions go live.

Bottom line: For “when does Columbia ED come out,” the most accurate phrasing is that Columbia Early Decision results are released in mid- December, commonly around December 16, via the online portal.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.