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Columbia College
Columbia College admits nearly everyone — 93.9% of applicants. A feature, not a flaw: the page below asks whether Columbia College is worth attending, not whether you'll get in.
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Columbia College sits in Columbia proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its United Methodist affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Homeland Security, where graduates median $71,888 four years out. Faculty pay averages $71,244 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 1,343 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 60.4% of first-years come back for a second year.
Columbia College won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
Columbia College does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 93.9% who got into Columbia College did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Columbia College received 2,163 applications and admitted 2,072 (95.8%), with 204 enrolling.
How Columbia College compares
| Columbia College | South Carolina median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 93.9% | 72.5% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $22,214 | $17,440 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $41,338 | $44,354 | $53,781 |
Ten years out, Columbia College's median earnings are $41,338 — below the South Carolina benchmark of $44,354. Weigh that against the $22,214 price above; the by-major table shows majors drive much of this gap.
Cost, size & completion
Columbia College lists tuition at $22,214 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Columbia College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $22,214 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 1,343 undergraduates, Columbia College is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
Fewer than half of Columbia College students — 36.9% — finish within six years. That number should shape how much debt feels safe.
Top majors by earnings at Columbia College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security | $71,888 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $59,371 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $53,979 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $46,686 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $44,280 |
| Social Work | $44,276 |
| Behavioral Sciences | $39,738 |
| Psychology, General | $32,207 |
Median earnings for these 8 Columbia College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $41,338 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 45 additional Columbia College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Columbia College?
Columbia College doesn't look at test scores; its 93.9% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is Columbia College's acceptance rate?
95.8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,072 admitted from 2,163 applicants.
How much does Columbia College cost?
At Columbia College, published tuition is $22,214 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Columbia College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Columbia College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $41,338 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in South Carolina
- Columbia International University — 94.5% admitted
- Coker University — 94% admitted
- Francis Marion University — 86.4% admitted
- Southern Wesleyan University — 99.5% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.