Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Columbia College

Columbia, South Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·columbiasc.edu
6-yr Graduation
37%
-19.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
1,725
peer median 1,756
Avg net price
$23,650
+$3.8k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
2,634
2,634 candidates competed
Admitted
2,474
93.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
211
8.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
37%-19.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
26%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
37%
Full-time retention
60%

Pell equity

24.0pp gap
Pell recipients
30%
Non-Pell
54%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 24.0-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 54 Title IV programs, 11 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 42 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
54
Passing
11
20.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.9% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.9%
+1.3pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

54programs
  • Passing11 · 20.4%
  • No Data42 · 77.8%
  • Failing1 · 1.9%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
4
Safe
7
No data
42

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.

12
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
-2.4%
$32,207 vs $32,989
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+18.1%
$50,070 vs $42,400
Behavioral Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+20.5%
$39,738 vs $32,989
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+21.3%
$62,548 vs $51,545
Education Other
Master's Degree · Education
+23.6%
$52,401 vs $42,400
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+30.9%
$61,821 vs $47,231
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+34.2%
$44,280 vs $32,989
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+34.2%
$44,276 vs $32,989

Near the line (±5%)

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

1
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
-2.4%
$782

Debt vs earnings

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

12
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
75%
$24,000 debt · $32,207 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
54%
$25,027 debt · $46,686 earn
Behavioral Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
47%
$18,810 debt · $39,738 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
45%
$19,688 debt · $44,280 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
44%
$23,583 debt · $53,979 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
43%
$18,838 debt · $44,276 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
39%
$19,329 debt · $50,070 earn
Education Other
Master's Degree · Education
36%
$18,579 debt · $52,401 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1938Next review Dec 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 16

  1. Jun 2023Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Denial
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  2. Apr 2023Adverse Action Initiated
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  3. Dec 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Apr 2022Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Show Cause
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  5. Dec 2021Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

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$23,126
$30–48k$20,687
$48–75k$22,849
$75–110k$26,163
$110k+$27,106

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

Avg net price (private)
$23,650
+$3,810vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $19,840
Federal loans
70.0%
In-state tuition
$21,450
Out-of-state
$21,450

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 940 students received $5.7M in Pell grants, alongside $12.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
940
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.7M
$5,676,764 total
Direct Loans
$12.7M
2,202 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.5M
893 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.6M
916 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$4.0M
281 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.4M
96 loan awards
Grad PLUS$169K
16 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 595 borrowers who entered repayment, 9 (1.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
595
Defaulted
9
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.6%
2017
8.7%
2018
6.0%
2019
1.5%
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 programs43
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

414 total completions
01Education
19847.8%
02Business
5814.0%
03Security/Protective
4210.1%
04Health Professions
389.2%
05Psychology
348.2%
06Public Admin
153.6%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
102.4%
08Parks/Recreation
81.9%
09Computer Sciences
61.4%
10Family/Consumer Sci
51.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
1,725
12-mo unduplicated
2,070
Undergraduate
1,522
Graduate
548

Gender split

Men
16%322
Women
84%1,748

Race / ethnicity composition

White
38.1%
Black
37.5%
Hispanic
11.0%
Unknown
8.7%
Asian
2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.0%
Non-resident
0.7%
Two or more
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
104
52 M · 52 W
Women athletes
50.0%
Athletic aid
$604K
Total student aid
Budget
$1.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$227K
$377K
Recruiting expense
$0
$0
Head-coach salaries
$22K
$32K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
94 M · 90 W
$360K
Soccer
30 M · 24 W
$300K
Softball
· 29 W
$166K
Basketball
· 17 W
$133K
Volleyball
· 16 W
$149K
Tennis
8 M · 6 W
$149K

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
8.59
13 offenses · 1,514 students

3-year trend

6.572 yrs ago5.041 yr ago8.59Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
28
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
18
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
6
Motor vehicle theft
3
Robbery
2
Rape
1
Burglary
1

By location

13total
  • On campus2
  • Public property11

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
5 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs40
Liquor10

Residence-hall fires

  • McNair Hall1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $10,000-$24,999

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
12.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
55

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
37%1,725$23,650Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Converse University
62%67.7%1,787$19,712Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
North Greenville University
55%66.7%2,304$20,612Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Southern Wesleyan University
57%99.5%980$19,968Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Coker University
40%94.0%1,325$18,045Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Bob Jones University
63%86.2%2,734$17,529Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median56%86.2%1,756$19,840

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 37% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Columbia College?

Columbia College reports a total enrollment of 1,725 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Columbia College?

The average net price at Columbia College is $23,650 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Columbia College?

Columbia College's yield rate is 8.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Columbia College located?

Columbia College is located in Columbia, South Carolina 29203.

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