Central College vs. Columbia International University

Central College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Central College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Central College	Columbia International University
Location	Pella, IA	Columbia, SC
Setting	Distant Town	Midsize City
Enrollment	1,095	2,631
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#548	#867
Religious Affiliation	Reformed Church in America	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	central.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Central College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$20,988	$26,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$20,988	$26,700
Room & Board	$12,220	$11,950
Avg Net Price	$22,499	$21,320
Avg Grant Aid	$12,678	$18,883
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	96%

Admission	Central College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,978	372
Admitted	1,562	363
Acceptance Rate	79%	97.6%
Enrolled %	17.5%	32%
Avg High School GPA	3.52	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	19/25	16/25
SAT Range	935/1205	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Central College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	12:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (17%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%) Social Sciences (12%) Biology (8%) Foreign Languages (7%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Central College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	63%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$48,000	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	78%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$27,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$279	$222

Diversity	Central College	Columbia International University
% Men	1%	28%
% Women	2%	37%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	87%	72%
% Black	2%	10%
% Hispanic	4%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	1%	2%
% International	0%	4%
% Unknown Race	3%	6%

Students	Central College	Columbia International University
% In-State	72%	57%
% Out-of-State	28%	41%
Campus	Central College	Columbia International University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than Central College based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 1,095 students)

Central College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Central College or Columbia International University?

• Columbia International University is 27.2% more expensive to attend than Central College for in-state tuition ($26,700.00 vs. $20,988.00)
• Out of state tuition is 27.2% higher at Columbia International University than Central College ($26,700.00 vs. $20,988.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia International University than Central College ($21,320 vs. $22,499)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 2.3% lower than costs at Central College ($11,950 vs. $12,220)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Central College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia International University students is 48.9% larger than aid received Central College ($18,883 vs. $12,678)

Central College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Central College 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 Central College .

• The average SAT score at Central College (1068) is 23 points higher than at Columbia International University (1045)
• Incoming Central College students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Columbia International University (23)
• Accepted freshman Central College students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Columbia International University (3.5)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Central College (79%)

Central College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Central College 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 Central College.

• The graduation rate at Central College is higher than Columbia International University (63% vs. 57%)
• Graduates from Central College earn on average $14,600 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($48,000 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Central College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Central College graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
• More Central College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia International University students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 63%)

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