Shorter vs. Columbia International University

Shorter University vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Shorter University	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Shorter	Columbia International University
Location	Rome, GA	Columbia, SC
Setting	Small City	Midsize City
Enrollment	1,447	2,631
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#977	#867
Religious Affiliation	Baptist	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	shorter.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Shorter	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$23,514	$26,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$23,514	$26,700
Room & Board	$9,784	$11,950
Avg Net Price	$16,692	$21,320
Avg Grant Aid	$18,168	$18,883
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	96%

Admission	Shorter	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	783	372
Admitted	759	363
Acceptance Rate	96.9%	97.6%
Enrolled %	35.4%	32%
Avg High School GPA	3.25	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Extremely Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	17/23	16/25
SAT Range	900/1130	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 25, 2026	Aug 1, 2026

Academics	Shorter	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	15:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (26%) Education (17%) Visual and Performing Arts (12%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%) Biology (7%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Shorter	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	47%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$49,300	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	38%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$28,418	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$293	$222

Diversity	Shorter	Columbia International University
% Men	4%	28%
% Women	5%	37%
Racial Diversity	Medium	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	62%	72%
% Black	24%	10%
% Hispanic	5%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	2%
% International	4%	4%
% Unknown Race	1%	6%

Students	Shorter	Columbia International University
% In-State	81%	57%
% Out-of-State	16%	41%
Campus	Shorter	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 Shorter based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 1,447 students)

Shorter vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

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

• Columbia International University is 13.5% more expensive to attend than Shorter for in-state tuition ($26,700.00 vs. $23,514.00)
• Out of state tuition is 13.5% higher at Columbia International University than Shorter University ($26,700.00 vs. $23,514.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shorter University than Columbia International University ($16,692 vs. $21,320)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shorter University are 22.1% lower than costs at Columbia International University ($9,784 vs. $11,950)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Shorter University than Columbia International University (100% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia International University students is 3.9% larger than aid received Shorter University ($18,883 vs. $18,168)

Shorter vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Shorter 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 Shorter .

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 76 points higher than at Shorter (969)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Shorter (21)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Shorter (3.25)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Shorter (96.9%)

Shorter vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Shorter 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 Shorter.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Shorter University (57% vs. 47%)
• Graduates from Shorter University earn on average $15,900 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($49,300 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $6,918 lower median federal student loan debt than Shorter graduates. ($21,500 vs. $28,418)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than Shorter graduates. ($222 vs. $293)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Shorter students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 38%)

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