Salem College vs. Columbia International University

Salem College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Salem College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Salem College	Columbia International University
Location	Winston Salem, NC	Columbia, SC
Setting	Midsize City	Midsize City
Enrollment	469	2,481
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#705
Religious Affiliation	Moravian Church	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	salem.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Salem College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$30,500	$25,620
Tuition (Out of State)	$30,500	$25,620
Room & Board	$12,300	$9,950
Avg Net Price	$18,354	$19,911
Avg Grant Aid	$30,048	$18,834
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	95%

Admission	Salem College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,159	506
Admitted	1,014	244
Acceptance Rate	87.5%	48.2%
Enrolled %	9%	73.4%
Avg High School GPA	3.3	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range	17/21	16/25
SAT Range	1053/1200	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Salem College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	16:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Social Sciences (20%) Business (16%) Biology (11%) Visual and Performing Arts (8%) English and Literature (7%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Salem College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	53%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$35,000	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	53%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$27,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$279	$222

Diversity	Salem College	Columbia International University
% Men	3%	46%
% Women	97%	54%
Racial Diversity	High	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	55%	72%
% Black	22%	10%
% Hispanic	12%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	2%
% International	1%	4%
% Unknown Race	4%	6%

Students	Salem College	Columbia International University
% In-State	78%	59%
% Out-of-State	22%	38%
Campus	Salem 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 Salem College based on total student enrollment (2,481 students vs. 469 students)

Salem College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

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

• Salem College is 19% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($30,500.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• Out of state tuition is 19% higher at Salem College than Columbia International University ($30,500.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Salem College than Columbia International University ($18,354 vs. $19,911)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 23.6% lower than costs at Salem College ($9,950 vs. $12,300)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Salem College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 95%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Salem College students is 59.5% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($30,048 vs. $18,834)

Salem College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Salem College (1119) is 74 points higher than at Columbia International University (1045)
• Incoming Salem College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Columbia International University (23)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Salem College (3.3)
• Salem College has a higher acceptance rate (87.5%) than Columbia International University (48.2%)

Salem College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salem 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 Salem College.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Salem College (57% vs. 53%)
• Graduates from Salem College earn on average $1,600 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($35,000 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Salem College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Salem College graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Salem College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 53%)

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