Public · University

Columbus State University

Columbus, Georgia · Midsize city

99.1%
Admit rate
$13,115
Avg net price
42%
Graduation rate
$44,544
Median earnings

Columbus State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Columbus, Georgia (midsize city setting), enrolling 5,625 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 5,625 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 99% admitNCAA Division II without football

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Columbus State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
99.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
800–1060
Avg GPA (est.)
2.81

Enter a test score to see where you land against Columbus State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Columbus State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the beginning of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River and on the last stretch of the Federal Road before entering Alabama. The city was named for Christopher Columbus. Columbus is home to upwards of 50 parks, four recreation centers, four senior centers and parks, and the Standing Boy Creek Park. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
4 miles to Columbus, GA
To the ocean
155 miles
Nearest airport
1 mile to Columbus (CSG)

How Columbus State University compares

Selectivity99.1%

More selective than 5% · #44 most selective of 46 in Georgia

SAT average977

Higher than 6%

Graduation rate42%

Higher than 26% · #27 of 54 in Georgia

First-year retention70%

Higher than 30%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,544

Higher than 23% · #35 of 54 in Georgia

Average net price$13,115

Cheaper than 80% · #15 cheapest of 54 in Georgia

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment5,625

Larger than 80%

Percentiles compare Columbus State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Georgia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

7,415students
  • Undergraduate5,62576%
  • Graduate1,79024%

Undergraduates by gender

5,625undergrads
  • Women3,55463%
  • Men2,07137%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White42%
  • Black37%
  • Hispanic9.3%
  • Asian2.5%
  • Other or multiracial9.4%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,625
Graduate enrollment
1,790
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
45%
First-generation students
33%
Students over 25
24%
Median family income
$32,788
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$79,218
Endowment
$104,227,476

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 1,067 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Georgia91%
  • Other U.S. states7.8%
  • International1.2%

Most first-years stay in state — Columbus State University draws overwhelmingly from Georgia.

1% 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
99.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
800–1060
SAT average
977
SAT reading
440–530
SAT math
360–530
ACT composite
16–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.81

Cost

In-state tuition
$5,898
Out-of-state tuition
$17,610
Room & board
$11,720
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$21,676
Average net price
$13,115

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)
42%
Graduated on time (4 years)
23%
First-year retention
70%
Transferred to another college
34%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,190
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$44,544
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
38%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
33%

About 19% 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
23%
Low-income (Pell)
34%
First-generation
33%

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
1,392
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
25%
Housing charge (year)
$6,512
Meal plan (year)
$5,270
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
341 (183 men · 158 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 (9)

Track and Field (Outdoor)114
Baseball44
Basketball43
Soccer33
Other Sports25
Cross Country24
Softball23
Golf19
Tennis16

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
50
Property offenses (2022–2024)
25

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (7,913 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.

25reported offenses a year
17 violent a year8.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
9.0
Burglary
5.0
Rape
3.7
Fondling
3.3
Motor vehicle theft
3.0
Murder
0.3
Robbery
0.3
Arson
0.3

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.

< $30k
$11,271
$30–48k
$11,873
$48–75k
$13,786
$75–110k
$16,542
$110k+
$18,329

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
$64,345

$13,786/year × about 4.7 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.

22%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,556
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 22% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,556. 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 943 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)
$44,544
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
58%
Out-earn a HS grad
51%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.8 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
$42,631
Men
$47,776

Men out-earn women by $5,145 (12%) 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
93°F
Winter low
38°F
Annual rain
48.8″
Annual snow
0.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbus Metro AP, GA US station (1 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 Columbus State University

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

Colleges near Columbus State 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.