PUC vs. Columbia International University

Pacific Union College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Pacific Union College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	PUC	Columbia International University
Location	Angwin, CA	Columbia, SC
Setting	Rural Fringe	Midsize City
Enrollment	938	2,631
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#867
Religious Affiliation	Seventh Day Adventists	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	puc.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	PUC	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$34,191	$26,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$34,191	$26,700
Room & Board	$9,471	$11,950
Avg Net Price	$22,799	$21,320
Avg Grant Aid	$24,423	$18,883
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	96%

Admission	PUC	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,323	372
Admitted	562	363
Acceptance Rate	42.5%	97.6%
Enrolled %	24.7%	32%
Avg High School GPA	3.24	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range	20/24	16/25
SAT Range	930/1190	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2026

Academics	PUC	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (41%) Business (12%) Biology (9%) Visual and Performing Arts (8%) Education (5%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	PUC	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	45%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$59,200	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	57%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$30,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$310	$222

Diversity	PUC	Columbia International University
% Men	1%	28%
% Women	2%	37%
Racial Diversity	Very High	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	26%	72%
% Black	9%	10%
% Hispanic	28%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	2%	0%
% Two or More Races	7%	2%
% International	3%	4%
% Unknown Race	5%	6%

Students	PUC	Columbia International University
% In-State	77%	57%
% Out-of-State	21%	41%
Campus	PUC	Columbia International University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than PUC based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 938 students)

PUC vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PUC or Columbia International University?

• Pacific Union College is 28.1% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($34,191.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 28.1% higher at PUC than Columbia International University ($34,191.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia International University than PUC ($21,320 vs. $22,799)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Union College are 26.2% lower than costs at Columbia International University ($9,471 vs. $11,950)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Pacific Union College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific Union College students is 29.3% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($24,423 vs. $18,883)

PUC vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 61 points higher than at PUC (984)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at PUC (21)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at PUC (3.24)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than PUC (42.5%)

PUC vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PUC or Columbia International 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 Columbia International University and PUC.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Pacific Union College (57% vs. 45%)
• Graduates from Pacific Union College earn on average $25,800 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($59,200 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than PUC graduates. ($21,500 vs. $30,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than PUC graduates. ($222 vs. $310)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PUC students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 57%)

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