Columbia College vs. St. Catharine

Should I go to Columbia College Chicago or Saint Catharine College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Columbia College or St. Catharine 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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Columbia College Chicago vs. Saint Catharine College comparison
Columbia College Chicago Saint Catharine College College 3 College 4
Columbia College Chicago
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Overview

Columbia College St. Catharine
Location Chicago, IL Saint Catharine, KY
Setting Large City Distant Rural
Enrollment 6,646 649
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website colum.edu sccky.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Columbia College St. Catharine
Tuition (In State) $29,270 $19,732
Tuition (Out of State) $29,270 $19,732
Room & Board $18,000 $9,636
Avg Net Price $28,387 $24,513
Avg Grant Aid $18,020 $9,299
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Columbia College St. Catharine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,701 462
Admitted 7,298 359
Acceptance Rate 94.8%Open 77.7%Open
Enrolled % 22%Open 37.9%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/22
SAT Range 880/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not applicable
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Columbia College St. Catharine
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 0:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (63%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communications Technology (6%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

Columbia College St. Catharine
Graduation Rate 41% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,300 $33,000
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $19,975
Median Loan Payment $268 $206

Diversity

Columbia College St. Catharine
% Men 40% 0%
% Women 60% 0%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 73%
% Black 15% 11%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

Columbia College St. Catharine
% In-State 57% -
% Out-of-State 40% -

Campus

Columbia College St. Catharine
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Columbia College Chicago is larger than than St. Catharine based on total student enrollment (6,646 students vs. 649 students)

Columbia College vs. St. Catharine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Columbia College or St. Catharine?

  • Columbia College Chicago is 48.3% more expensive to attend than St. Catharine for in-state tuition ($29,270.00 vs. $19,732.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 48.3% higher at Columbia College than Saint Catharine College ($29,270.00 vs. $19,732.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Catharine College than Columbia College ($24,513 vs. $28,387)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Catharine College are 86.8% lower than costs at Columbia College Chicago ($9,636 vs. $18,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Catharine College than Columbia College Chicago (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College Chicago students is 93.8% larger than aid received Saint Catharine College ($18,020 vs. $9,299)

Columbia College vs. St. Catharine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at St. Catharine (3.1)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (94.8%) than St. Catharine (77.7%)

Columbia College vs. St. Catharine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Columbia College or St. Catharine? 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 St. Catharine and Columbia College.

  • Graduates from Columbia College Chicago earn on average $4,300 more per year than St. Catharine graduates after ten years. ($37,300 vs. $33,000)
  • Saint Catharine College students graduate with a $6,025 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia College graduates. ($19,975 vs. $26,000)
  • St. Catharine graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia College graduates. ($206 vs. $268)
  • More St. Catharine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (49% vs. 46%)

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