Public Bachelor's Good 64/100

Columbus State Community College

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

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Columbus, Ohio

About Columbus State Community College

Thinking about Columbus State Community College, a college in Ohio where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Columbus State Community College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Columbus, Ohio. It enrolls 17,549 students (a very large 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
0.5%
Net Price
$8,400
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,435
Enrollment
17,549
Student : Faculty
18:1

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
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 29
Value 73
Affordability 49
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Columbus State Community 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $8,400 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$8,400
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
26%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
18%
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 (in-state)
$5,488
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,224
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,640
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,961
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,381

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $6,777
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $7,161
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $8,643
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,660
  • Over $110,000
    $12,985

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.

$1,750
10% percentile
$3,197
25% percentile
$8,749
Median percentile
$14,307
75% percentile
$25,375
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 $6,514 ↓ $2,235
No Pell $5,250 ↓ $3,499
Dependent students $4,963 ↓ $3,786
Independent students $7,939 ↓ $810
Female students $6,371 ↓ $2,378
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,249
Pell recipients: 17.8% (1,560 students)No Pell: 14.4% (1,257 students)Dependent students: 13.6% (1,188 students)Independent students: 21.7% (1,901 students)Female students: 17.4% (1,526 students)Male students: 15.1% (1,317 students)Overall Median$8,749
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,944, less than completers ($8,749), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

1% of students who start here finish within six years. 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
1%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
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 $39,435 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)
$39,435
Earning > $25K
63%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$36,500$37,500$38,000$39,000$40,0006 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
$31,800

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

Male graduates
$40,800

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,900

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

Family income (middle third)
$39,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$41,900

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,000, about 22% 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 ↑ 24.2 pts across 6 years
44.8%1yr52.6%3yr67.9%5yr69%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 17,549 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 44% are the first in their family to go to college, and 70% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
17,549
Part-Time
70%
First-Generation
44%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 39.6% 6,953
Black 25.4% 4,463
Hispanic 8.7% 1,529
Asian 4.5% 783
Other 4.2% 739
International 2.8% 497
White: 39.6% (6,953 students)Black: 25.4% (4,463 students)Hispanic: 8.7% (1,529 students)Asian: 4.5% (783 students)Other: 4.2% (739 students)International: 2.8% (497 students)Total17,549

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Columbus, Ohio
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
23% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

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

Columbus State Community College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 81 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.

1 Program
19 Programs
5 Programs
4 Programs
14 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,352
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$32M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,872
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

352 instructional faculty across 5 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 125 36% $84,350
Associate Professors 53 15% $69,352
Assistant Professors 72 20% $57,741
Instructors 74 21% $51,522
No Rank 28 8% $48,193

Pros & Cons of Columbus State Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Columbus State Community 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Columbus State Community College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbus State Community College

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

How much does Columbus State Community College cost?
Budget around $8,400 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 Columbus State Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,435 a year against a net price of $8,400, about 4.7 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 Columbus State Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Information Systems. 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 Columbus State Community College graduates earn?
About $39,435 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 Columbus State Community College accredited?
Yes. Columbus State Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Columbus State Community College?
17,549 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Columbus State Community College?
1% 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 Columbus State Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Columbus State Community College located?
Columbus State Community College is located in Columbus, Ohio.
What programs does Columbus State Community College offer?
81 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Information Systems. 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 Columbus State Community College?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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