# Columbia College

Private nonprofit college in Columbia, SC. IPEDS ID 217934.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-college-sc · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/columbia-college-sc.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 94% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $18,408 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 37%; beats 21% of SC colleges and 20% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $41,338; beats 32% of SC colleges and 16% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $14,750

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,541 |
| 30-48k | $17,017 |
| 48-75k | $16,816 |
| 75-110k | $22,928 |
| 110k+ | $20,399 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.12 years on average (48% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $41,338 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,541 | $72,269 | 9.2 years |
| 30-48k | $17,017 | $70,110 | 9.0 years |
| 48-75k | $16,816 | $69,282 | 8.9 years |
| 75-110k | $22,928 | $94,463 | 12.1 years |
| 110k+ | $20,399 | $84,044 | 10.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $35,258
- Tuition and fees: $22,214
- Housing and meals: $8,550; books: $960

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,163 applicants, 2,072 admitted, 204 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 94%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (53 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeland Security | $67,338 | $71,888 | $27,855 |
| Criminal Justice | $50,519 | $59,371 | $26,773 |
| Business Administration | $42,514 | $53,979 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $39,489 | $46,686 | $28,000 |
| Communications | not reported | $44,280 | $28,644 |
| Social Work | not reported | $44,276 | $28,674 |
| Behavioral Sciences | not reported | $39,738 | $33,539 |
| Psychology | not reported | $32,207 | $30,494 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | $23,600 |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Fire Protection | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Security / Homeland Security | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | $27,000 |
| Health Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nursing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $59,260 (Columbia, SC), $58,070 (SC), $76,210 (U.S.)
- Social Work → Social worker: median wage $50,610 (Columbia, SC), $51,800 (SC), $59,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).