CofC vs. Columbia College

Should I go to College of Charleston or Columbia College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CofC 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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College of Charleston vs. Columbia College comparison
College of Charleston Columbia College College 3 College 4
College of Charleston
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Overview

CofC Columbia College
Location Charleston, SC Columbia, SC
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 10,885 1,514
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #428 #913
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cofc.edu columbiasc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

CofC Columbia College
Tuition (In State) $12,518 $21,250
Tuition (Out of State) $35,338 $21,250
Room & Board $12,986 $8,400
Avg Net Price $21,120 $18,779
Avg Grant Aid $9,499 $16,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 97%

Admission

CofC Columbia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,020 2,176
Admitted 16,666 2,135
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 98.1%
Enrolled % 13.3% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.56
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 14/18
SAT Range 1130/1300 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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

CofC Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

CofC Columbia College
Graduation Rate 63% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $25,264
Median Loan Payment $222 $261

Diversity

CofC Columbia College
% Men 32% 15%
% Women 68% 85%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 80% 55%
% Black 7% 34%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

CofC Columbia College
% In-State 44% 76%
% Out-of-State 54% 22%

Campus

CofC 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

  • College of Charleston is larger than than Columbia College based on total student enrollment (10,885 students vs. 1,514 students)

CofC vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CofC or Columbia College?

  • Columbia College is 69.8% more expensive to attend than CofC for in-state tuition ($21,250.00 vs. $12,518.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.3% higher at CofC than Columbia College ($35,338.00 vs. $21,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia College than CofC ($18,779 vs. $21,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 54.6% lower than costs at College of Charleston ($8,400 vs. $12,986)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of Charleston than Columbia College (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College students is 69.4% larger than aid received College of Charleston ($16,089 vs. $9,499)

CofC vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at College of Charleston (1141) is 170 points higher than at Columbia College (971)
  • Incoming CofC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Columbia College (21)
  • Accepted freshman CofC students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Columbia College (3.56)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than CofC (75.7%)

CofC vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CofC 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 CofC.

  • The graduation rate at CofC is higher than Columbia College (63% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from College of Charleston earn on average $11,500 more per year than Columbia College graduates after ten years. ($46,200 vs. $34,700)
  • College of Charleston students graduate with a $3,764 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,264)
  • CofC graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia College graduates. ($222 vs. $261)
  • More CofC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 43%)

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