Columbia College Chicago campus

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Columbia College Salaries

  • 4 Year
  • Chicago, IL
  • 5.0 1 review
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Columbia College Chicago

This page shows median first-year earnings for Columbia College graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $28,600 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $37,300. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Business Administration, Management and Operations, with median first-year earnings of $34,400 , followed by Marketing at $34,300 , and American Sign Language at $30,000 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $39,600 , followed by Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degree) at $36,000 , and Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degree) at $32,000 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for Columbia College Chicago graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for Columbia College Chicago graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degree) $39,600
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degree) $36,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,400
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,300
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degree) $32,000
American Sign Language (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,900
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,200
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,300
Graphic Communications (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,600
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,600
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,300
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,700
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,700
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,000
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,700
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,600
Dance (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,200
Music (Bachelor’s Degree) $18,200

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Columbia College Chicago often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=144281.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026