Columbia College vs. Columbia College

Deciding between Columbia College Chicago and Columbia College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Columbia College Chicago

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Columbia College Chicago, IL
  • Columbia College Columbia, MO
  • Setting
  • Columbia College Large City
  • Columbia College Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • Columbia College 5,570
  • Columbia College 5,689
  • Type
  • Columbia College Private 4 Year
  • Columbia College Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Columbia College -
  • Columbia College Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
  • Status
  • Columbia College Non-profit
  • Columbia College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Columbia College $34,088
  • Columbia College $25,826
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Columbia College $34,088
  • Columbia College $25,826
  • Room & Board
  • Columbia College $20,629
  • Columbia College $9,552
  • Average Net Price
  • Columbia College $29,473
  • Columbia College $21,530
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Columbia College $22,780
  • Columbia College $15,882
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Columbia College 100%
  • Columbia College 91%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Columbia College 7,079
  • Columbia College -
  • Admitted
  • Columbia College 6,333
  • Columbia College -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Columbia College 89.5% Open
  • Columbia College Open
  • Enrolled
  • Columbia College 15.1% Open
  • Columbia College Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • Typical ACT score
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • Average High School GPA
  • Columbia College 3.41
  • Columbia College 3.59
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Columbia College B+
  • Columbia College A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Columbia College Unavailable
  • Columbia College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • ACT Range
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • SAT Range
  • Columbia College
  • Columbia College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Columbia College Open admission
  • Columbia College Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • Columbia College Aug 1, 2027
  • Columbia College

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Columbia College 15:1
  • Columbia College 20:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Columbia College
    • Visual and Performing Arts (63%)
    • Communication (12%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Communications Technology (6%)
    • English and Literature (5%)
  • Columbia College
    • Business (42%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (29%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Human Services (4%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Columbia College 41%
  • Columbia College 39%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Columbia College $37,300
  • Columbia College $41,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Columbia College 46%
  • Columbia College 40%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Columbia College $26,000
  • Columbia College $22,034
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Columbia College $268
  • Columbia College $227

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Columbia College 40%
  • Columbia College 41%
  • % Women
  • Columbia College 60%
  • Columbia College 59%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Columbia College High
  • Columbia College High
  • HBCU
  • Columbia College No
  • Columbia College No
  • % White
  • Columbia College 55%
  • Columbia College 55%
  • % Asian
  • Columbia College 3%
  • Columbia College 1%
  • % Black
  • Columbia College 15%
  • Columbia College 25%
  • % Hispanic
  • Columbia College 11%
  • Columbia College 8%
  • % Native American
  • Columbia College 0%
  • Columbia College 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Columbia College 0%
  • Columbia College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Columbia College 5%
  • Columbia College 3%
  • % International
  • Columbia College 3%
  • Columbia College 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Columbia College 7%
  • Columbia College 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Columbia College 54%
  • Columbia College 63%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Columbia College 44%
  • Columbia College 37%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Columbia College Yes
  • Columbia College Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Columbia College No
  • Columbia College No
  • Meal Plan
  • Columbia College Yes
  • Columbia College Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Columbia College No
  • Columbia College Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Columbia College No
  • Columbia College No

Comparable Facts

Compare Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL with Columbia College in Columbia, MO on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Columbia College is larger than Columbia College based on total student enrollment (5,689 students vs. 5,570 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, IL (Large City setting); Columbia College is in Columbia, MO (Midsize City setting).
  • Columbia College Chicago is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Columbia College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Columbia College Chicago 15:1; Columbia College 20:1.

Columbia College vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Columbia College or Columbia College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia College than Columbia College ($21,530 vs. $29,473).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 53.7% lower than at Columbia College Chicago ($9,552 vs. $20,629).
  • Columbia College Chicago is 32% more expensive for in-state tuition than Columbia College (about $8,262 more per year; $34,088.00 vs. $25,826.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 32% higher at Columbia College than at Columbia College (about $8,262 more per year; $34,088.00 vs. $25,826.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Columbia College Chicago than at Columbia College (100% vs. 91%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College Chicago students is 43.4% larger than aid received by Columbia College students ($22,780 vs. $15,882).

Columbia College vs. Columbia College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Columbia College or Columbia College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Columbia College and Columbia College.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Columbia College - Open admission; Columbia College - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Columbia College Aug 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Columbia College (3.41).

Columbia College vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Columbia College and Columbia College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Columbia College Chicago's six-year graduation rate (41%) is higher than Columbia College's (39%).
  • Graduates from Columbia College earn a median of about $4,500 more per year than Columbia College graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,800 vs. $37,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Columbia College graduates have a $3,966 lower median loan debt than Columbia College graduates ($22,034 vs. $26,000).
  • Among borrowers, Columbia College graduates have an estimated $41 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Columbia College graduates ($227 vs. $268).
  • More Columbia College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 40%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.