More selective than 10% of South Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $43,045. College Scorecard.
Higher than 47% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 36% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 18% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 11% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CIU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 372 applicants, Columbia International University admitted 363 and 116 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CIU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What CIU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Columbia International University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,955 | $89,357 | 16.4 years |
| $30–48k | $25,644 | $104,371 | 19.2 years |
| $48–75k | $23,535 | $95,787 | 17.6 years |
| $75–110k | $28,722 | $116,899 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $29,751 | $121,087 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (63% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($38,951) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $5,435 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
CIU majors, earnings & careers
Columbia International University offers 26 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Science & Math · 1
Highest-earning majors at CIU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $43,210 | — |
| Business Administration | $40,432 | — |
| Bible Studies | $38,117 | $21,500 |
Quick list of all 26 majors
- Area Studies—
- Bible Studies$38,117
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$40,432
- Communications—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,210
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Human Services—
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Nursing—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Religious Education—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theology / Ministry—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbia
Overall prices in the Columbia, SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,226. Housing costs 21% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Richland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Richland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CIU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in South Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia International University | 94% | $26,036 | 47% | $38,951 | This school |
| Coker University | 94% | $20,286 | 40% | $40,117 | |
| Southern Wesleyan University | 100% | $15,464 | 52% | $47,756 | |
| Newberry College | 90% | $21,656 | 45% | $48,040 | |
| Columbia College | 94% | $18,408 | 37% | $41,338 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Columbia International University would cost you $5,750 more per year than Coker University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Columbia International University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$5,516).
- Coker University gives aided families $8,510 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | CIU | Coker University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $27,900 | $33,416 | −$5,516 |
| Books & supplies | $200 | $3,000 | −$2,800 |
| Housing & meals | $11,950 | $10,882 | +$1,068 |
| Personal & travel | $3,400 | $1,632 | +$1,768 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$405 | −$3,125 | +$2,720 |
| Sticker price | $43,045 | $45,805 | −$2,760 |
| Average grants | −$17,009 | −$25,519 | +$8,510 |
| You pay | $26,036 | $20,286 | +$5,750 |
“+” means CIU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about CIU
What is the CIU acceptance rate?
Columbia International University accepts 94% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 363 of 372 applicants were admitted.
How much does Columbia International University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,045 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $26,036 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,955 and families earning $110k+ pay $29,751.
How much do CIU graduates earn?
Former Columbia International University students earn a median $38,951 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CIU graduation rate?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 53% return for their second year.
How long does a CIU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Columbia International University costs about $95,787 after grants ($23,535 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $38,951 ten years after starting, $5,435 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 17.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is CIU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing CIU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Columbia International University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-international-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).