AAMU vs. Columbia College

Should I go to Alabama A & M University or Columbia College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if AAMU or Columbia College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Alabama A & M University vs. Columbia College comparison
Alabama A & M University Columbia College College 3 College 4
Alabama A & M University
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Overview

 AAMU Columbia College
Location Normal, AL Columbia, SC
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 6,007 1,514
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #1015 #913
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website aamu.edu columbiasc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 AAMU Columbia College
Tuition (In State) $8,610 $21,250
Tuition (Out of State) $17,220 $21,250
Room & Board $9,520 $8,400
Avg Net Price $14,600 $18,779
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $16,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 97%

Admission

 AAMU Columbia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,907 2,176
Admitted 6,092 2,135
Acceptance Rate 68.4% 98.1%
Enrolled % 28.3% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.02 3.56
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 15/19 14/18
SAT Range 830/1033 850/1140
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 AAMU Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

 AAMU Columbia College
Graduation Rate 32% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,300 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 25% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $35,000 $25,264
Median Loan Payment $361 $261

Diversity

 AAMU Columbia College
% Men 39% 15%
% Women 61% 85%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low High
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 55%
% Black 92% 34%
% Hispanic 1% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 AAMU Columbia College
% In-State 51% 76%
% Out-of-State 38% 22%

Campus

 AAMU Columbia College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Alabama A & M University is larger than than Columbia College based on total student enrollment (6,007 students vs. 1,514 students)

AAMU vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, AAMU or Columbia College?

  • Columbia College is 146.8% more expensive to attend than AAMU for in-state tuition ($21,250.00 vs. $8,610.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.4% higher at Columbia College than Alabama A & M University ($21,250.00 vs. $17,220.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Alabama A & M University than Columbia College ($14,600 vs. $18,779)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 13.3% lower than costs at Alabama A & M University ($8,400 vs. $9,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia College than Alabama A & M University (97% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College students is 59.8% larger than aid received Alabama A & M University ($16,089 vs. $10,066)

AAMU vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, AAMU or Columbia College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Columbia College or AAMU .

  • The average SAT score at Columbia College (971) is 121 points higher than at AAMU (850)
  • Incoming Columbia College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at AAMU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.54 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at AAMU (3.02)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than AAMU (68.4%)

AAMU vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, AAMU or Columbia College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Columbia College and AAMU.

  • The graduation rate at Columbia College is higher than Alabama A & M University (50% vs. 32%)
  • Graduates from Columbia College earn on average $400 more per year than AAMU graduates after ten years. ($34,700 vs. $34,300)
  • Columbia College students graduate with a $9,736 lower median federal student loan debt than AAMU graduates. ($25,264 vs. $35,000)
  • Columbia College graduates are paying $100 less per month on federal student loans than AAMU graduates. ($261 vs. $361)
  • More Columbia College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AAMU students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 25%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/