Columbia Gorge Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in The Dalles, Oregon. It enrolls 543 students (a small, tight-knit 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.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic CalendarQuarter
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 (2-Year), 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.
Fair
54/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes13
Value58
Affordability43
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Columbia Gorge Community College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
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 $10,416 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$5,940
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,260
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,341
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,975
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,676
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,676
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,608
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.
$1,75210%percentile
$3,50025%percentile
$19,397Medianpercentile
$18,90375%percentile
$29,06690%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 $9,500
↓ $9,897
No Pell $4,719
↓ $14,678
Dependent students $4,083
↓ $15,314
Independent students $10,500
↓ $8,897
Female students $9,500
↓ $9,897
Male students $5,482
↓ $13,915
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,063, less than completers ($19,397), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 52% 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
21%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
52%
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 $44,440 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)
$44,440
Earning > $25K
73%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$4.3 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 543 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 56% are the first in their family to go to college, and 55% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
543
Part-Time
55%
First-Generation
56%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 43.3%235
Hispanic 35.9%195
Other 4.1%22
Asian 0.7%4
Black 0.2%1
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Columbia Gorge Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Columbia Gorge Community College offers
a focused set of programs:
6 distinct programs across
6 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.
There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,347
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$2.4M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,420
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
27 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors
27
100%
$63,420
Pros & Cons of Columbia Gorge Community College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Columbia Gorge Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Columbia Gorge Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Gorge Community College
The questions families ask most about Columbia Gorge Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Columbia Gorge Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Columbia Gorge Community College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia Gorge Community College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Columbia Gorge Community College cost?
Budget around $10,416 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 Gorge Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $44,440 a year against a net price of $10,416, about 4.3 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 Gorge Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. 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 Gorge Community College graduates earn?
About $44,440 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 Gorge Community College accredited?
Yes. Columbia Gorge Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Columbia Gorge Community College?
543 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia Gorge Community College?
21% 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 Gorge Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Columbia Gorge Community College located?
Columbia Gorge Community College is located in The Dalles, Oregon.
What programs does Columbia Gorge Community College offer?
6 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. 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 Gorge Community College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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