Columbia College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Columbia, South Carolina. It enrolls 1,343 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
50/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes9
Value30
Affordability74
Selectivity12
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 93.9%, Columbia College is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
93.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Columbia College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.8 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Columbia College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $18,408 per year. That's below the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$18,408
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
54%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
65%
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
$22,214
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,390
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,504
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,444
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,984
Total Cost of Attendance
$35,258
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
$17,541
$30,001 – $48,000
$17,017
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,816
$75,001 – $110,000
$22,928
Over $110,000
$20,399
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.
$3,26010%percentile
$5,96025%percentile
$22,750Medianpercentile
$24,62575%percentile
$34,00090%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 $14,270
↓ $8,480
No Pell $15,648
↓ $7,102
Dependent students $14,500
↓ $8,250
Independent students $15,011
↓ $7,739
Female students $14,608
↓ $8,142
Male students $16,500
↓ $6,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,333, less than completers ($22,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
58% of full-time students who enrolled at Columbia College graduate within six years, and 57% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
58%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
57%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Columbia College earn a median of $41,338 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,338
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$33,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$36,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$39,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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 ↑
21.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 67% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Columbia College is home to 1,343 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 41% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,343
Part-Time
29%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 40.4%543
White 37.1%498
Hispanic 10.1%135
Other 2.5%34
Asian 2.4%32
International 1.0%14
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 CityColumbia, South Carolina
Housing
Mostly residential618 beds on campus
Adult Learners
43%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Columbia College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
40 distinct programs across
16 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia College is 11:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$40M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$60,338
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
63 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
11
17%
$73,883
Associate Professors
10
16%
$66,017
Assistant Professors
24
38%
$57,554
Lecturers
18
29%
$52,618
Pros & Cons of Columbia College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Columbia College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Columbia College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Columbia College.
Is Columbia College hard to get into?
Columbia College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 93.9%.
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College?
Columbia College has an acceptance rate of 93.9%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Columbia College cost?
The average net price after aid at Columbia College is $18,408 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Columbia College worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $41,338 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $18,408 per year. That's roughly 2.2x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Columbia College known for?
Columbia College is best known for its programs in Education, Criminal Justice, Educational Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Columbia College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Columbia College are $41,338, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Columbia College accredited?
Yes. Columbia College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Columbia College?
Columbia College enrolls 1,343 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia College?
Columbia College graduates 58% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Columbia College a public or private college?
Columbia College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Columbia College located?
Columbia College is located in Columbia, South Carolina.
What programs does Columbia College offer?
Columbia College offers 40 distinct programs. The most popular include Education, Criminal Justice, Educational Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia College is 11:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in South Carolina
Other colleges in South Carolina share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
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