Columbia International University vs. Southwestern Adventist University

Columbia International University vs. Southwestern Adventist University comparison

	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Location	Columbia, SC	Keene, TX
Setting	Midsize City	Distant Town
Enrollment	2,631	817
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#867
Religious Affiliation	-	Seventh Day Adventists	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	ciu.edu	swau.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Tuition (In State)	$26,700	$23,928
Tuition (Out of State)	$26,700	$23,928
Room & Board	$11,950	$9,032
Avg Net Price	$21,320	$20,198
Avg Grant Aid	$18,883	$14,534
% Receiving Grant Aid	96%	99%

Admission	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	372	1,468
Admitted	363	815
Acceptance Rate	97.6%	55.5%Open
Enrolled %	32%	19.5%Open
Avg High School GPA	3.5	3.3
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range	16/25	17/25
SAT Range	990/1195	910/1200
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, 2026	Aug 1, 2026

Academics	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Student to Faculty Ratio	13:1	12:1
Popular Majors	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)	Health Professions (29%) Business (22%) Education (13%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%) Psychology (8%)
Outcomes	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Graduation Rate	57%	38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$33,400	$42,600
Making Student Loan Payments	63%	49%
Median Student Loan Debt	$21,500	$26,000
Median Loan Payment	$222	$268

Diversity	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
% Men	28%	0%
% Women	37%	0%
Racial Diversity	Low	Very High
HBCU	No	No
% White	72%	21%
% Black	10%	14%
% Hispanic	4%	41%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	2%
% Two or More Races	2%	4%
% International	4%	14%
% Unknown Race	6%	2%

Students	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
% In-State	57%	77%
% Out-of-State	41%	20%
Campus	Columbia International University	Southwestern Adventist University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than Southwestern Adventist University based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 817 students)

Columbia International University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Columbia International University or Southwestern Adventist University?

• Columbia International University is 11.6% more expensive to attend than Southwestern Adventist University for in-state tuition ($26,700.00 vs. $23,928.00)
• Out of state tuition is 11.6% higher at Columbia International University than Southwestern Adventist University ($26,700.00 vs. $23,928.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Adventist University than Columbia International University ($20,198 vs. $21,320)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Adventist University are 32.3% lower than costs at Columbia International University ($9,032 vs. $11,950)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern Adventist University than Columbia International University (99% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia International University students is 29.9% larger than aid received Southwestern Adventist University ($18,883 vs. $14,534)

Columbia International University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 141 points higher than at Southwestern Adventist University (904)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Southwestern Adventist University (20)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Southwestern Adventist University (3.3)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Southwestern Adventist University (55.5%)

Columbia International University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Columbia International University or Southwestern Adventist University? 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 Southwestern Adventist University and Columbia International University.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Southwestern Adventist University (57% vs. 38%)
• Graduates from Southwestern Adventist University earn on average $9,200 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($42,600 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Southwestern Adventist University graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than Southwestern Adventist University graduates. ($222 vs. $268)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwestern Adventist University students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 49%)

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