Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Plains·ccis.edu
6-yr Graduation
42%
-5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
5,689
peer median 5,718
Avg net price
$24,051
+$443 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
42%-5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
33%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
43%
Full-time retention
75%

Pell equity

23.0pp gap
Pell recipients
30%
Non-Pell
53%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 23.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 72 Title IV programs, 27 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 44 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
72
Passing
27
37.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.4% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.4%
+0.8pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

72programs
  • Passing27 · 37.5%
  • No Data44 · 61.1%
  • Failing1 · 1.4%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
2
Watch
2
Safe
23
No data
44

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

28
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
-3.0%
$45,010 vs $46,391
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+5.5%
$36,714 vs $34,808
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+9.0%
$58,415 vs $53,607
Human Services General
Associate Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+14.4%
$39,817 vs $34,808
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+24.9%
$57,964 vs $46,391
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+34.4%
$46,785 vs $34,808
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+34.4%
$46,794 vs $34,808
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+40.6%
$48,950 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
-3.0%
$1,381

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

28
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
97%
$43,749 debt · $45,010 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
88%
$51,582 debt · $58,415 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
73%
$36,045 debt · $49,542 earn
Human Services General
Associate Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
72%
$28,531 debt · $39,817 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
70%
$25,500 debt · $36,714 earn
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
62%
$28,891 debt · $46,785 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
60%
$34,607 debt · $57,964 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
60%
$27,935 debt · $46,794 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1923Next review Aug 2033
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1918

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 6

  1. Sep 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  2. Jun 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  3. Apr 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Mar 2021Initial Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  5. Mar 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$26,212
$30–48k$21,960
$48–75k$24,477
$75–110k$21,728
$110k+$21,856

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$24,051
+$443vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $23,608
Federal loans
42.6%
In-state tuition
$24,326
Out-of-state
$24,326

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,259 students received $14.0M in Pell grants, alongside $20.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,259
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$14.0M
$13,993,646 total
Direct Loans
$20.7M
4,513 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
4k
21
4k
22
3k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.1M
2,162 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$9.3M
2,060 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.5M
232 loan awards
Parent PLUS$451K
46 loan awards
Grad PLUS$265K
13 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 4,219 borrowers who entered repayment, 76 (1.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.8%
-0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,219
Defaulted
76
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
12.5%
2017
11.5%
2018
8.9%
2019
1.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Columbia College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs54
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,613 total completions
01Business
60537.5%
02Liberal Arts
44927.8%
03Health Professions
1368.4%
04Security/Protective
1147.1%
05Public Admin
825.1%
06Psychology
774.8%
07Computer Sciences
714.4%
08Biological Sciences
311.9%
09Education
281.7%
10History
201.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
5,689
12-mo unduplicated
8,694
Undergraduate
8,119
Graduate
575

Gender split

Men
42%3,660
Women
58%5,034

Race / ethnicity composition

White
52.9%
Black
21.3%
Hispanic
11.6%
Two or more
6.4%
Non-resident
3.1%
Asian
2.0%
Unknown
1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
320
175 M · 145 W
Women athletes
45.3%
Athletic aid
$2.4M
Total student aid
Budget
$5.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.3M
$1.1M
Recruiting expense
$8K
$8K
Head-coach salaries
$46K
$47K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
78 M · 62 W
$681K
Soccer
44 M · 25 W
$753K
Baseball
43 M ·
$540K
Basketball
18 M · 17 W
$807K
Golf
18 M · 9 W
$286K
Other Sports
· 22 W
$163K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.98
18 offenses · 6,046 students

3-year trend

1.202 yrs ago1.631 yr ago2.98Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
39
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
10
Burglary
5
Rape
2
Aggravated assault
1

By location

18total
  • On campus13
  • Non-campus3
  • Public property2

Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs65
Liquor412

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
75

Columbia College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Columbia College selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectColumbia College
42%5,689$24,051Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Park University
37%69.0%5,736$15,529Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Webster University
64%86.2%8,260$26,196Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Lindenwood University
49%56.8%6,826$18,516Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Missouri Baptist University
46%68.6%5,699$25,807Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Rockhurst University
74%69.6%3,577$23,165Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median48%69.0%5,718$23,608

Frequently asked questions about Columbia College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Columbia College.

What is the graduation rate at Columbia College?

Columbia College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 42% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Columbia College?

Columbia College reports a total enrollment of 5,689 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Columbia College?

The average net price at Columbia College is $24,051 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Columbia College located?

Columbia College is located in Columbia, Missouri 65216.

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