Private nonprofit · University

Columbia International University

Columbia, South Carolina · Midsize city

94.5%
Admit rate
$26,036
Avg net price
47%
Graduation rate
$38,951
Median earnings

Columbia International University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Columbia, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 716 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 716 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 94% admitNAIA Division I

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
6 miles to Columbia, SC
To the ocean
107 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)

How Columbia International University compares

Selectivity94.5%

More selective than 14% · #26 most selective of 29 in South Carolina

Graduation rate47%

Higher than 33% · #19 of 35 in South Carolina

First-year retention53%

Higher than 8%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,951

Higher than 12% · #28 of 35 in South Carolina

Average net price$26,036

Cheaper than 26% · #32 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$20,000

Lower than 75%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment716

Larger than 28%

Percentiles compare Columbia International University 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

2,665students
  • Undergraduate71627%
  • Graduate1,94973%

Undergraduates by gender

716undergrads
  • Women39655%
  • Men32045%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White62%
  • Black20%
  • Asian2.2%
  • Other or multiracial16%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
716
Graduate enrollment
1,949
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
24%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$49,960
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$57,690
Endowment
$5,124,495

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 116 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From South Carolina57%
  • Other U.S. states41%
  • International2.6%

A regional draw: about 57% of first-years come from South Carolina, the rest from elsewhere.

3% came from outside the U.S. 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
94.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$27,900
Room & board
$11,950
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$43,045
Average net price
$26,036

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)
47%
Graduated on time (4 years)
37%
First-year retention
53%
Transferred to another college
3%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$33,929
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$38,951
Median debt at graduation
$20,000
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
60%

About 9% 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)

All students
37%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
55%

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
400
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
56%
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Varsity athletes
271 (151 men · 120 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 (8)

Soccer52
Baseball49
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)44
Basketball40
Softball28
Volleyball25
Other Sports22
Golf11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,914 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.

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.

< $30k
$21,955
$30–48k
$25,644
$48–75k
$23,535
$75–110k
$28,722
$110k+
$29,751

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.

Est. total to a degree
$101,240

$23,535/year × about 4.3 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.

91%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$13,242
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 91% — get grant money from Columbia International University itself, averaging $13,242, which softens the sticker price.

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 162 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)
$38,951
Typical debt at graduation
$20,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
51%
Out-earn a HS grad
42%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$33,668
Men
$44,166

Men out-earn women by $10,498 (31%) 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

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.75.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbia Univ OF SC, SC US station (6.5 mi from campus).

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 International University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Columbia International University side by side →

Colleges near Columbia International University

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.