Fort Valley State University vs. Columbia College

Should I go to Fort Valley State University or Columbia College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Fort Valley State University 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Fort Valley State University vs. Columbia College comparison
Fort Valley State University Columbia College College 3 College 4
Fort Valley State University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Location Fort Valley, GA Columbia, SC
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 2,605 1,514
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #1018 #913
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fvsu.edu columbiasc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Tuition (In State) $4,064 $21,250
Tuition (Out of State) $14,786 $21,250
Room & Board $8,372 $8,400
Avg Net Price $13,016 $18,779
Avg Grant Aid $9,499 $16,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 97%

Admission

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,247 2,176
Admitted 2,692 2,135
Acceptance Rate 43.1% 98.1%
Enrolled % 20.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 2.87 3.56
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/19 14/18
SAT Range 810/950 850/1140
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jun 15, 2025

Academics

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Graduation Rate 33% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,000 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 19% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $36,500 $25,264
Median Loan Payment $377 $261

Diversity

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
% Men 35% 15%
% Women 65% 85%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low High
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 55%
% Black 94% 34%
% Hispanic 0% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
% In-State 93% 76%
% Out-of-State 7% 22%

Campus

Fort Valley State University Columbia College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Fort Valley State University is larger than than Columbia College based on total student enrollment (2,605 students vs. 1,514 students)

Fort Valley State University vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Fort Valley State University or Columbia College?

  • Columbia College is 422.9% more expensive to attend than Fort Valley State University for in-state tuition ($21,250.00 vs. $4,064.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.7% higher at Columbia College than Fort Valley State University ($21,250.00 vs. $14,786.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fort Valley State University than Columbia College ($13,016 vs. $18,779)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fort Valley State University are 0.3% lower than costs at Columbia College ($8,372 vs. $8,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia College than Fort Valley State University (97% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia College students is 69.4% larger than aid received Fort Valley State University ($16,089 vs. $9,499)

Fort Valley State University vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Columbia College (971) is 106 points higher than at Fort Valley State University (865)
  • Incoming Columbia College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Fort Valley State University (18)
  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.69 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Fort Valley State University (2.87)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than Fort Valley State University (43.1%)

Fort Valley State University vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Fort Valley State University 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 Fort Valley State University.

  • The graduation rate at Columbia College is higher than Fort Valley State University (50% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Columbia College earn on average $2,700 more per year than Fort Valley State University graduates after ten years. ($34,700 vs. $32,000)
  • Columbia College students graduate with a $11,236 lower median federal student loan debt than Fort Valley State University graduates. ($25,264 vs. $36,500)
  • Columbia College graduates are paying $116 less per month on federal student loans than Fort Valley State University graduates. ($261 vs. $377)
  • More Columbia College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fort Valley State University students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 19%)

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