Private nonprofit · College
Columbia College
Columbia, South Carolina · Midsize city
- 93.9%
- Admit rate
- $18,408
- Avg net price
- 37%
- Graduation rate
- $41,338
- Median earnings
Columbia College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Columbia, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 1,343 undergraduates. It has a United Methodist religious affiliation.
About Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. In May 1540, a Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto traversed what is now Columbia while moving northward on exploration of the interior of the Southeast. Alternacirque, professional circus that produces variety shows and full-scale themed productions. Formed in 2007, Alternacirque is directed by Natalie Brown. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Columbia, SC
- To the ocean
- 104 miles
- Nearest airport
- 9 miles to Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)
How Columbia College compares
More selective than 15% · #24 most selective of 29 in South Carolina
Higher than 18% · #27 of 35 in South Carolina
Higher than 14%
Higher than 16% · #23 of 35 in South Carolina
Cheaper than 58% · #18 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina
Lower than 55%
Lower than 59%
Larger than 46%
Percentiles compare Columbia College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Carolina.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,34380%
- Graduate33420%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women97473%
- Men36927%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White37%
- Black40%
- Hispanic10%
- Asian2.4%
- Other or multiracial10%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,343
- Graduate enrollment
- 334
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 54%
- First-generation students
- 41%
- Students over 25
- 43%
- Median family income
- $34,742
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $53,433
- Endowment
- $20,040,972
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 204 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From South Carolina83%
- Other U.S. states17%
Most first-years stay in state — Columbia College draws overwhelmingly from South Carolina.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 93.9%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $22,214
- Room & board
- $9,390
- Books & supplies
- $1,000
- Total cost of attendance
- $35,258
- Average net price
- $18,408
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 37%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 26%
- First-year retention
- 60%
- Transferred to another college
- 46%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,863
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $41,338
- Median debt at graduation
- $22,750
- Students with federal loans
- 65%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 37%
About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 618
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 46%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,180
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,370
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NAIA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 335 (147 men · 188 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (10)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 4
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,725 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$16,816/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 84% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $7,376. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 184 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $41,338
- Typical debt at graduation
- $22,750
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 55%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 48%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $18,460 (45%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 96°F
- Winter low
- 37°F
- Annual rain
- 48.1″
- Annual snow
- 0.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbia Univ OF SC, SC US station (3.7 mi from campus).
What Columbia College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Columbia College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Columbia College side by side →
Coker University
Hartsville, South Carolina · Distant town · 61 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 840
- Admission
- 94%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $40k
Shorter University
Rome, Georgia · Small city · 55 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 1,028
- Admission
- 96%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1115
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $45k
Wilson College
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania · Small city · 46 mi to Harrisburg
- Students
- 865
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1000
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $43k
Mid-America Christian University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Large city · 9 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 1,666
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1020
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $46k
Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, West Virginia · Remote town · 104 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 661
- Admission
- 94%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
Nelson University
Waxahachie, Texas · Large suburb · 26 mi to Dallas
- Students
- 1,479
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 980
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near Columbia College
Benedict College
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,536 students
Allen University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 576 students
Columbia International University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 716 students
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 29,820 students
Fortis College-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 582 students
Barber Tech Academy-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 51 students
Southeastern College-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 267 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
West Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 256 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












