Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 62/100

Columbia College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Columbia, Missouri

About Columbia College

Thinking about Columbia College, a college in Missouri where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Columbia College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Columbia, Missouri. It enrolls 4,950 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
26.2%
Net Price
$22,715
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,378
Enrollment
4,950
Student : Faculty
20:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 64
Value 26
Affordability 41
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Columbia College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $22,715 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$22,715
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
45%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
41%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$25,826
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,552
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,552
Books & Supplies
$480
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,248
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,248
Total Cost of Attendance
$37,207

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $23,967
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $21,168
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $21,550
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $23,015
  • Over $110,000
    $21,545

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,346
10% percentile
$4,793
25% percentile
$23,879
Median percentile
$28,689
75% percentile
$44,917
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,750 ↓ $8,129
No Pell $12,500 ↓ $11,379
Dependent students $12,474 ↓ $11,405
Independent students $15,750 ↓ $8,129
Female students $15,250 ↓ $8,629
Male students $13,780 ↓ $10,099
Pell recipients: 18.4% (4,399 students)No Pell: 14.6% (3,491 students)Dependent students: 14.6% (3,484 students)Independent students: 18.4% (4,399 students)Female students: 17.8% (4,259 students)Male students: 16.1% (3,848 students)Overall Median$23,879
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,000, less than completers ($23,879), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

26% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
26%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,378 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,378
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$40,000$42,000$43,000$45,000$46,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$37,700

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$53,600

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$46,500

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$49,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $15,900, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.6 pts across 6 years
51%1yr57.4%3yr66.9%5yr73.6%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,950 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 49% are the first in their family to go to college, and 50% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
4,950
Part-Time
50%
First-Generation
49%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 53.0% 2,625
Black 21.1% 1,044
Hispanic 12.0% 594
Other 7.2% 358
International 3.4% 169
Asian 1.9% 96
White: 53.0% (2,625 students)Black: 21.1% (1,044 students)Hispanic: 12.0% (594 students)Other: 7.2% (358 students)International: 3.4% (169 students)Asian: 1.9% (96 students)Total4,950

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Columbia College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Columbia, Missouri
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 412 beds
Adult Learners
65% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Columbia College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 50 distinct programs across 18 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

13 Programs
2 Programs
5 Programs
3 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 20 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
20:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$242M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$75,302
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

67 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 14 21% $84,708
Associate Professors 20 30% $80,449
Assistant Professors 25 37% $69,258
Instructors 8 12% $64,859

Pros & Cons of Columbia College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Columbia College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Columbia College is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia College

The questions families ask most about Columbia College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Columbia College cost?
Budget around $22,715 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Columbia College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,378 a year against a net price of $22,715, about 2.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Columbia College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Columbia College graduates earn?
About $45,378 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Columbia College accredited?
Yes. Columbia College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Columbia College?
4,950 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia College?
26% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Columbia College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Columbia College located?
Columbia College is located in Columbia, Missouri.
What programs does Columbia College offer?
50 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia College?
20 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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