Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate (for-profit)
Columbia Southern University
6-yr Graduation
33%
—
Total enrollment
17,763
peer median 10,400
Avg net price
$14,580
-$5.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Use this data
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Overall completion
33%
Overall completion
33%
4-year graduation
24%
4-year graduation
24%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
26%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
26%
Full-time retention
71%
Full-time retention
71%
Pell equity
3.9pp gap
Pell recipients
35%134 of 384
Non-Pell (all)
31%88 of 283
Subsidized loan, no Pell
40%23 of 58
No Federal Aid
29%65 of 225
Pell recipients here graduate at a 3.9-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 70 Title IV programs, 24 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 46 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Total programs
70
Passing
24
34.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national
Pass / fail distribution
70programs
- Passing24 · 34.3%
- No Data46 · 65.7%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
3
Safe
21
No data
46
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.
Program
Typical
Benchmark
EP gap
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$66,208
$60,112
National BA Median
+10.1%
+$6,096
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+10.1%
$66,208 vs $60,112
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$40,382
$34,808
National HS Median
+16.0%
+$5,574
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+16.0%
$40,382 vs $34,808
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$64,135
$53,607
National Same-Field BA Median
+19.6%
+$10,528
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+19.6%
$64,135 vs $53,607
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
$79,103
$60,112
National BA Median
+31.6%
+$18,991
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+31.6%
$79,103 vs $60,112
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$49,618
$34,808
National HS Median
+42.5%
+$14,810
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+42.5%
$49,618 vs $34,808
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
$74,452
$46,158
National Same-Field BA Median
+61.3%
+$28,294
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+61.3%
$74,452 vs $46,158
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
Master's Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$99,847
$60,112
National BA Median
+66.1%
+$39,735
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
Master's Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
+66.1%
$99,847 vs $60,112
Homeland Security
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$93,851
$53,607
National Same-Field BA Median
+75.1%
+$40,244
Homeland Security
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+75.1%
$93,851 vs $53,607
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Program
Median debt
Median earnings
Debt burden
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$39,022
$64,135
61%
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$39,022 debt · $64,135 earn
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$39,170
$66,208
59%
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$39,170 debt · $66,208 earn
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
$38,594
$74,452
52%
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
$38,594 debt · $74,452 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
$38,351
$79,103
49%
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
$38,351 debt · $79,103 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$23,281
$49,618
47%
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$23,281 debt · $49,618 earn
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$16,401
$40,382
41%
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$16,401 debt · $40,382 earn
Homeland Security
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$35,699
$93,851
38%
Homeland Security
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
$35,699 debt · $93,851 earn
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$23,446
$61,821
38%
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$23,446 debt · $61,821 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 2022Next review Dec 2027
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor
Distance Education Accrediting Commission
Accredited since 2001Next review Jan 2026
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 10
- Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jul 2024Grant Substantive Change: DegreeSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Aid exceeds costFamily pays
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Avg net price (private)
$14,580
-$5,734vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $20,314
Federal loans
25.8%
In-state tuition
$6,760
Out-of-state
$6,760
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,351 students received $33.7M in Pell grants, alongside $102.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients
6,351
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$33.7M
$33,714,364 total
Direct Loans
$102.9M
12,961 loan awards
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
5k’20
4k’21
4k’22
5k’23
6k’24
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Subsidized$19.7M
4,670 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$33.2M
5,317 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$47.9M
2,853 loan awards
Parent PLUS$25K
3 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.1M
118 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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 4,331 borrowers who entered repayment, 95 (2.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate
2.1%
-0.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,331
Defaulted
95
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard
Default rate vs national, by cohort
2016
9.6%+0.3
2017
8.8%-0.4
2018
6.5%-0.5
2019
2.1%-0.2
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.
Academic programs at Columbia Southern
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Distinct CIP programs31
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered
Top program families by completions
9,085 total completions
01Security/Protective
2,94732.4%
01Security/Protective
2,94732.4%
02Business
2,55528.1%
02Business
2,55528.1%
03Engineering Tech
2,11023.2%
03Engineering Tech
2,11023.2%
04Health Professions
7238.0%
04Health Professions
7238.0%
05Computer Sciences
3704.1%
05Computer Sciences
3704.1%
06Public Admin
1581.7%
06Public Admin
1581.7%
07Liberal Arts
1161.3%
07Liberal Arts
1161.3%
08Natural Resources
961.1%
08Natural Resources
961.1%
09Education
80.1%
09Education
80.1%
10Communication
20.0%
10Communication
20.0%
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Fall total
17,763
12-mo unduplicated
31,903
Undergraduate
22,652
Graduate
9,251
Gender split
Men
63%20,094
Women
37%11,809
Race / ethnicity composition
White
60.8%
Black
18.9%
Unknown
13.0%
Two or more
2.9%
Asian
1.5%
Hispanic
1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.7%
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 18,487 students
3-year trend
0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0
Criminal offenses by type
No criminal offenses reported.
By location
0total
VAWA offenses
0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00
Residence-hall fires
No residence-hall fires reported.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Student-to-faculty
37.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
265
Columbia Southern vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Columbia Southern selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 Southern University | 33% | — | 17,763 | $14,580 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 45% | — | 27,169 | $38,875 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 47% | — | 50,715 | $9,597 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 33% | — | 3,037 | $21,050 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| — | — | 2,498 | $25,532 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 19% | — | 1,998 | $19,578 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| Peer group median | 33% | — | 10,400 | $20,314 |
Institutions like Columbia Southern
Explore the federal data for institutions in Columbia Southern's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsFlorida
Full Sail University
Grad rate45%Admit rate—Enrollment27,169Net price$38,875View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWest Virginia
American Public University System
Grad rate47%Admit rate—Enrollment50,715Net price$9,597View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNorth Carolina
Strayer University-North Carolina
Grad rate33%Admit rate—Enrollment3,037Net price$21,050View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsKentucky
Sullivan University
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment2,498Net price$25,532View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsVirginia
Strayer University-Virginia
Grad rate19%Admit rate—Enrollment1,998Net price$19,578View data
Frequently asked questions about Columbia Southern University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Columbia Southern.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia Southern University?
Columbia Southern University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 33% per the latest IPEDS.
How many students attend Columbia Southern University?
Columbia Southern University reports a total enrollment of 17,763 students per the latest IPEDS.
What is the average net price at Columbia Southern University?
The average net price at Columbia Southern University is $14,580 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.
Where is Columbia Southern University located?
Columbia Southern University is located in Orange Beach, Alabama 36561-9000.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →
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