Private for-profit · Community college
Fortis College-Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina · Midsize city
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $20,404
- Avg net price
- 43%
- Grad / completion
- $36,368
- Median earnings
Fortis College-Columbia is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Columbia, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 582 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
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
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Columbia, SC
- To the ocean
- 103 miles
- Nearest airport
- 6 miles to Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)
How Fortis College-Columbia compares
Higher than 30% · #22 of 45 in South Carolina
Higher than 35%
Higher than 54% · #13 of 40 in South Carolina
Cheaper than 31% · #39 cheapest of 47 in South Carolina
Lower than 25%
Lower than 6%
Larger than 65%
Percentiles compare Fortis College-Columbia with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in South Carolina.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women42373%
- Men15927%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White13%
- Black80%
- Hispanic4.3%
- Other or multiracial2.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 582
- Student–faculty ratio
- 29 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 77%
- First-generation students
- 56%
- Students over 25
- 62%
- Median family income
- $15,144
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $54,810
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $14,777
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,178
- Total cost of attendance
- $27,793
- Average net price
- $20,404
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
- 43%
- First-year retention
- 66%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,189
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,368
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,547
- Students with federal loans
- 72%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 18%
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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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%.
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 (582 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.
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.
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: 69% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $458. 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 71 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)
- $36,368
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,547
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 35%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 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 $6,270 (18%) 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 Fortis College-Columbia 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 Fortis College-Columbia
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Fortis College-Columbia side by side →
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- Transfer
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Fortis College-Smyrna
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- Transfer
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Southeastern College-Columbia
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
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Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences
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Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis
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Fortis Institute-Wayne
Wayne, New Jersey · Large suburb · 18 mi to New York
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- Tuition
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- Earnings
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Colleges near Fortis College-Columbia
Barber Tech Academy-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 51 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
West Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 256 students
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 29,820 students
Benedict College
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,536 students
Allen University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 576 students
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia
West Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 127 students
Columbia College
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,343 students
Columbia International University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 716 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.