AQ vs. Columbia International University

Aquinas College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Aquinas College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	AQ	Columbia International University
Location	Grand Rapids, MI	Columbia, SC
Setting	Midsize City	Midsize City
Enrollment	1,265	2,481
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#819	#705
Religious Affiliation	Roman Catholic	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	aquinas.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	AQ	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$36,480	$25,620
Tuition (Out of State)	$36,480	$25,620
Room & Board	$10,572	$9,950
Avg Net Price	$18,605	$19,911
Avg Grant Aid	$30,049	$18,834
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	95%

Admission	AQ	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	2,116	506
Admitted	1,921	244
Acceptance Rate	90.8%	48.2%
Enrolled %	16%	73.4%
Avg High School GPA	3.52	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range		16/25
SAT Range	1000/1180	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2025

Academics	AQ	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (15%) Social Sciences (11%) Education (9%) Psychology (7%) Biology (6%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	AQ	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	52%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$40,000	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	60%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$26,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$268	$222

Diversity	AQ	Columbia International University
% Men	43%	46%
% Women	57%	54%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	82%	72%
% Black	3%	10%
% Hispanic	6%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	2%
% International	1%	4%
% Unknown Race	3%	6%

Students	AQ	Columbia International University
% In-State	84%	59%
% Out-of-State	13%	38%
Campus	AQ	Columbia International University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than AQ based on total student enrollment (2,481 students vs. 1,265 students)

AQ vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, AQ or Columbia International University?

• Aquinas College is 42.4% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($36,480.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• Out of state tuition is 42.4% higher at AQ than Columbia International University ($36,480.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Aquinas College than Columbia International University ($18,605 vs. $19,911)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 6.3% lower than costs at Aquinas College ($9,950 vs. $10,572)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Aquinas College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 95%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Aquinas College students is 59.5% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($30,049 vs. $18,834)

AQ vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Aquinas College (1090) is 45 points higher than at Columbia International University (1045)
• Incoming AQ students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Columbia International University (23)
• Accepted freshman AQ students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Columbia International University (3.5)
• AQ has a higher acceptance rate (90.8%) than Columbia International University (48.2%)

AQ vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, AQ or Columbia International University? 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 International University and AQ.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Aquinas College (57% vs. 52%)
• Graduates from Aquinas College earn on average $6,600 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than AQ graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than AQ graduates. ($222 vs. $268)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AQ students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 60%)

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