CMU - CLAS vs. Columbia College

Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences vs. Columbia College comparison

	Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences	Columbia College	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Location	Fayette, MO	Columbia, SC
Setting	Distant Town	Midsize City
Enrollment	1,017	1,572
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#632	#914
Religious Affiliation	United Methodist	United Methodist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	centralmethodist.edu	columbiasc.edu
Team Colors

Costs	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Tuition (In State)	$26,360	$20,650
Tuition (Out of State)	$26,360	$20,650
Room & Board	$8,910	$8,550
Avg Net Price	$25,050	$23,920
Avg Grant Aid	$19,255	$13,961
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	98%

Admission	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,149	2,163
Admitted	1,010	2,072
Acceptance Rate	87.9%	95.8%
Enrolled %	23.5%	9.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.5	3.56
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	19/24	14/18
SAT Range	1041/1138	850/1140
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 15, 2025

Academics	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	11:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (22%) Business (16%) Education (13%) Biology (9%) General Studies (8%)	Education (20%) Psychology (12%) Business (12%) Human Services (9%) Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
Outcomes	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Graduation Rate	43%	50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$38,600	$34,700
Making Student Loan Payments	63%	43%
Median Student Loan Debt	$16,875	$25,264
Median Loan Payment	$174	$261

Diversity	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
% Men	0%	2%
% Women	0%	17%
Racial Diversity	Low	High
HBCU	No	No
% White	78%	55%
% Black	8%	34%
% Hispanic	3%	4%
% Native American	0%	1%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	3%
% International	4%	2%
% Unknown Race	4%	1%

Students	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
% In-State	59%	79%
% Out-of-State	27%	16%
Campus	CMU - CLAS	Columbia College
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia College is larger than than CMU - CLAS based on total student enrollment (1,572 students vs. 1,017 students)

CMU - CLAS vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CMU - CLAS or Columbia College?

• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is 27.7% more expensive to attend than Columbia College for in-state tuition ($26,360.00 vs. $20,650.00)
• Out of state tuition is 27.7% higher at CMU - CLAS than Columbia College ($26,360.00 vs. $20,650.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia College than CMU - CLAS ($23,920 vs. $25,050)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 4.2% lower than costs at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($8,550 vs. $8,910)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences than Columbia College (100% vs. 98%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students is 37.9% larger than aid received Columbia College ($19,255 vs. $13,961)

CMU - CLAS vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (1043) is 72 points higher than at Columbia College (971)
• Incoming CMU - CLAS students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Columbia College (21)
• Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at CMU - CLAS (3.5)
• Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than CMU - CLAS (87.9%)

CMU - CLAS vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CMU - CLAS 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 CMU - CLAS.

• The graduation rate at Columbia College is higher than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (50% vs. 43%)
• Graduates from Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences earn on average $3,900 more per year than Columbia College graduates after ten years. ($38,600 vs. $34,700)
• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students graduate with a $8,389 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia College graduates. ($16,875 vs. $25,264)
• CMU - CLAS graduates are paying $87 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia College graduates. ($174 vs. $261)
• More CMU - CLAS graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 43%)

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