Union College vs. Columbia International University

Union College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Union College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Union College	Columbia International University
Location	Barbourville, KY	Columbia, SC
Setting	Remote Town	Midsize City
Enrollment	970	2,481
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#705
Religious Affiliation	United Methodist	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	unionky.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Union College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$28,737	$25,620
Tuition (Out of State)	$28,737	$25,620
Room & Board	$8,261	$9,950
Avg Net Price	$18,221	$19,911
Avg Grant Aid	$23,168	$18,834
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	95%

Admission	Union College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,142	506
Admitted	610	244
Acceptance Rate	53.4%	48.2%
Enrolled %	32.8%	73.4%
Avg High School GPA	3.15	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Extremely Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition	Low	Low
ACT Range	16/22	16/25
SAT Range	955/1148	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	Union College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	9:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (24%) Education (24%) Psychology (14%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%) Social Sciences (6%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Union College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	32%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$34,800	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	42%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$24,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$248	$222

Diversity	Union College	Columbia International University
% Men	57%	46%
% Women	43%	54%
Racial Diversity	Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	72%	72%
% Black	12%	10%
% Hispanic	2%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	5%	2%
% International	8%	4%
% Unknown Race	1%	6%

Students	Union College	Columbia International University
% In-State	58%	59%
% Out-of-State	28%	38%
Campus	Union 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 Union College based on total student enrollment (2,481 students vs. 970 students)

Union College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

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

• Union College is 12.2% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($28,737.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• Out of state tuition is 12.2% higher at Union College than Columbia International University ($28,737.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Union College than Columbia International University ($18,221 vs. $19,911)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Union College are 20.4% lower than costs at Columbia International University ($8,261 vs. $9,950)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Union College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 95%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Union College students is 23% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($23,168 vs. $18,834)

Union College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 75 points higher than at Union College (970)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Union College (21)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.35 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Union College (3.15)
• Union College has a higher acceptance rate (53.4%) than Columbia International University (48.2%)

Union College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Union 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 Union College.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Union College (57% vs. 32%)
• Graduates from Union College earn on average $1,400 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($34,800 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Union College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $24,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Union College graduates. ($222 vs. $248)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Union College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 42%)

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