Piedmont College vs. Columbia International University

Piedmont College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Piedmont College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
Location	Demorest, GA	Columbia, SC
Setting	Distant Town	Midsize City
Enrollment	1,840	2,631
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#718	#867
Religious Affiliation	United Church of Christ	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	piedmont.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$30,200	$26,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$30,200	$26,700
Room & Board	$12,300	$11,950
Avg Net Price	$21,599	$21,320
Avg Grant Aid	$23,701	$18,883
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	96%

Admission	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	2,066	372
Admitted	1,918	363
Acceptance Rate	92.8%	97.6%
Enrolled %	14.9%	32%
Avg High School GPA	3.54	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	18/24	16/25
SAT Range	990/1170	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	Jul 15, 2026	Aug 1, 2026

Academics	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	12:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Education (40%) Business (20%) Psychology (7%) Health Professions (7%) Social Sciences (4%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	46%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,000	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	44%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$23,736	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$245	$222

Diversity	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
% Men	5%	28%
% Women	26%	37%
Racial Diversity	Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	71%	72%
% Black	9%	10%
% Hispanic	5%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	2%
% International	1%	4%
% Unknown Race	10%	6%

Students	Piedmont College	Columbia International University
% In-State	85%	57%
% Out-of-State	14%	41%
Campus	Piedmont College	Columbia International 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 Piedmont College based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 1,840 students)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

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

• Piedmont College is 13.1% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($30,200.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 13.1% higher at Piedmont College than Columbia International University ($30,200.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia International University than Piedmont College ($21,320 vs. $21,599)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 2.9% lower than costs at Piedmont College ($11,950 vs. $12,300)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Piedmont College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Piedmont College students is 25.5% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($23,701 vs. $18,883)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Piedmont College 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 Piedmont College .

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 50 points higher than at Piedmont College (995)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Piedmont College (22)
• Accepted freshman Piedmont College students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Columbia International University (3.5)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Piedmont College (92.8%)

Piedmont College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Piedmont College 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 Piedmont College.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Piedmont College (57% vs. 46%)
• Graduates from Piedmont College earn on average $7,600 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($41,000 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $2,236 lower median federal student loan debt than Piedmont College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $23,736)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Piedmont College graduates. ($222 vs. $245)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Piedmont College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 44%)

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