More selective than 2% of Georgia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,676. College Scorecard.
Higher than 55% of Georgia colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 42% of Georgia colleges we cover and 24% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Columbus State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,550 applicants, Columbus State University admitted 3,523 and 1,083 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 800–1060 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Columbus State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Georgia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Columbus State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Columbus State University took 4.6 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 Georgia. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,271 | $51,621 | 4.7 years |
| $30–48k | $11,873 | $54,378 | 4.9 years |
| $48–75k | $13,786 | $63,140 | 5.7 years |
| $75–110k | $16,542 | $75,762 | 6.9 years |
| $110k+ | $18,329 | $83,947 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (22% 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 ($44,544) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,028 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.
Columbus State University majors, earnings & careers
Columbus State University offers 34 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Business & Finance · 6
- Science & Math · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Columbus State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $89,659 | $30,980 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $80,694 | $31,000 |
| Finance | $65,380 | $25,488 |
| Management Information Systems | $63,514 | $26,751 |
| Accounting | $61,389 | $26,500 |
| Political Science | $57,008 | — |
| Business | $53,246 | $31,000 |
| Marketing | $52,588 | $28,500 |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Accounting$61,389
- Biology$47,819
- Business$53,246
- Business Administration$49,673
- Chemistry—
- Communications$48,499
- Computer and Information Sciences$80,694
- Criminal Justice$49,956
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,723
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,125
- English$42,316
- Finance$65,380
- Geology / Earth Science$50,864
- Health Sciences$45,997
- History—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,912
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$63,514
- Marketing$52,588
- Mathematics—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Music$18,218
- Nursing$89,659
- Political Science$57,008
- Psychology$41,266
- Sociology$44,506
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art$35,560
- Theatre$34,931
- Writing—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbus
Overall prices in the Columbus, GA-AL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,212. Housing costs 39% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Muscogee County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Muscogee County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Columbus State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Georgia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus State University | 99% | $13,115 | 42% | $44,544 | This school |
| Middle Georgia State University | 100% | $12,361 | 25% | $40,863 | |
| Augusta University | 86% | $13,787 | 49% | $48,472 | |
| College of Coastal Georgia | 98% | $15,261 | 26% | $39,318 | |
| Valdosta State University | 72% | $10,945 | 42% | $49,361 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Columbus State University would cost you $754 more per year than Middle Georgia State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Columbus State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,412).
- Columbus State University gives aided families $1,305 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Georgia resident | Columbus State University | Middle Georgia State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $5,898 | $5,038 | +$860 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $1,240 | +$360 |
| Housing & meals | $11,262 | $8,850 | +$2,412 |
| Personal & travel | $6,184 | $7,153 | −$969 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,268 | −$2,664 | −$604 |
| Sticker price | $21,676 | $19,617 | +$2,059 |
| Average grants | −$8,561 | −$7,256 | −$1,305 |
| You pay | $13,115 | $12,361 | +$754 |
“+” means Columbus State University 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 Columbus State University
What is the Columbus State University acceptance rate?
Columbus State University accepts 99% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,523 of 3,550 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 800–1060 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
How much does Columbus State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,676 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,115 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,271 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,329.
How much do Columbus State University graduates earn?
Former Columbus State University students earn a median $44,544 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Columbus State University graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a Columbus State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Columbus State University costs about $63,140 after grants ($13,786 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,544 ten years after starting, $11,028 more than high school graduates in Georgia ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 5.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Columbus State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbus-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).