Columbia College vs. UW-Platteville

Should I go to Columbia College Chicago or University of Wisconsin Platteville? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Columbia College or UW-Platteville 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. University of Wisconsin Platteville comparison
Columbia College Chicago University of Wisconsin Platteville College 3 College 4
Columbia College Chicago University of Wisconsin Platteville
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Overview

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Location Chicago, IL Platteville, WI
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 6,646 6,486
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #711
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website colum.edu uwplatt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Tuition (In State) $29,270 $6,418
Tuition (Out of State) $29,270 $15,356
Room & Board $18,000 $8,072
Avg Net Price $28,387 $15,595
Avg Grant Aid $18,020 $4,866
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 84%

Admission

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,701 5,354
Admitted 7,298 4,574
Acceptance Rate 94.8%Open 85.4%
Enrolled % 22%Open 31.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (63%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communications Technology (6%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Engineering (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Agriculture (11%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Graduation Rate 41% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,300 $49,600
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,255
Median Loan Payment $268 $250

Diversity

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
% Men 40% 62%
% Women 60% 38%
Racial Diversity High Extremely Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 90%
% Black 15% 1%
% Hispanic 11% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
% In-State 57% 76%
% Out-of-State 40% 23%

Campus

 Columbia College UW-Platteville
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Columbia College Chicago is larger than than UW-Platteville based on total student enrollment (6,646 students vs. 6,486 students)

Columbia College vs. UW-Platteville Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Columbia College or UW-Platteville?

  • Columbia College Chicago is 356.1% more expensive to attend than UW-Platteville for in-state tuition ($29,270.00 vs. $6,418.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 90.6% higher at Columbia College than University of Wisconsin Platteville ($29,270.00 vs. $15,356.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin Platteville than Columbia College ($15,595 vs. $28,387)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin Platteville are 123% lower than costs at Columbia College Chicago ($8,072 vs. $18,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia College Chicago than University of Wisconsin Platteville (99% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College Chicago students is 270.3% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin Platteville ($18,020 vs. $4,866)

Columbia College vs. UW-Platteville Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at UW-Platteville (3.39)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (94.8%) than UW-Platteville (85.4%)

Columbia College vs. UW-Platteville Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Columbia College or UW-Platteville? 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 UW-Platteville and Columbia College.

  • The graduation rate at UW-Platteville is higher than Columbia College Chicago (52% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from University of Wisconsin Platteville earn on average $12,300 more per year than Columbia College graduates after ten years. ($49,600 vs. $37,300)
  • University of Wisconsin Platteville students graduate with a $1,745 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia College graduates. ($24,255 vs. $26,000)
  • UW-Platteville graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia College graduates. ($250 vs. $268)
  • More UW-Platteville graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 46%)

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