Piedmont College vs. Columbia College

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

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Piedmont College vs. Columbia College comparison
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Piedmont College
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Overview

Piedmont College Columbia College
Location Demorest, GA Columbia, SC
Setting Distant Town Midsize City
Enrollment 1,843 1,514
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #522 #913
Religious Affiliation United Church of Christ United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website piedmont.edu columbiasc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Piedmont College Columbia College
Tuition (In State) $28,970 $21,250
Tuition (Out of State) $28,970 $21,250
Room & Board $11,562 $8,400
Avg Net Price $18,792 $18,779
Avg Grant Aid $24,065 $16,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 97%

Admission

Piedmont College Columbia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,331 2,176
Admitted 1,500 2,135
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 98.1%
Enrolled % 20.1% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 14/18
SAT Range 990/1200 850/1140
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 15, 2025

Academics

Piedmont College Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (40%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (4%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

Piedmont College Columbia College
Graduation Rate 46% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,000 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 44% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,736 $25,264
Median Loan Payment $245 $261

Diversity

Piedmont College Columbia College
% Men 28% 15%
% Women 72% 85%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 55%
% Black 9% 34%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 10% 1%

Students

Piedmont College Columbia College
% In-State 85% 76%
% Out-of-State 14% 22%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Piedmont College is larger than than Columbia College based on total student enrollment (1,843 students vs. 1,514 students)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Piedmont College or Columbia College?

  • Piedmont College is 36.3% more expensive to attend than Columbia College for in-state tuition ($28,970.00 vs. $21,250.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.3% higher at Piedmont College than Columbia College ($28,970.00 vs. $21,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia College than Piedmont College ($18,779 vs. $18,792)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 37.6% lower than costs at Piedmont College ($8,400 vs. $11,562)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Piedmont College than Columbia College (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Piedmont College students is 49.6% larger than aid received Columbia College ($24,065 vs. $16,089)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Piedmont College (995) is 24 points higher than at Columbia College (971)
  • Incoming Piedmont College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Columbia College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Piedmont College (3.54)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than Piedmont College (64.4%)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Piedmont College 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 Piedmont College.

  • The graduation rate at Columbia College is higher than Piedmont College (50% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Piedmont College earn on average $6,300 more per year than Columbia College graduates after ten years. ($41,000 vs. $34,700)
  • Piedmont College students graduate with a $1,528 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia College graduates. ($23,736 vs. $25,264)
  • Piedmont College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia College graduates. ($245 vs. $261)
  • More Piedmont College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 43%)

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