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Columbus State University

Columbus State University is a public campus in Columbus proper — federal locale codes class it as urban.

What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$10,370

family income
under $30k

$10,797

$30–48k

$13,287

$48–75k

$15,598

$75–110k

$15,428

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$13,1152023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Columbus State University rose from $9,733 (2008) to $13,115 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$9,733
2009	$9,151
2010	$9,787
2011	$11,837
2012	$11,560
2013	$11,129
2014	$11,422
2015	$12,442
2016	$12,250
2017	$12,194
2018	$12,058
2019	$12,385
2020	$13,697
2021	$13,601
2022	$11,889
2023	$13,115

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$21,6762024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Columbus State University rose from $14,145 (2009) to $21,676 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$14,145
2010	$15,197
2011	$16,041
2012	$17,307
2013	$17,029
2014	$17,329
2015	$17,482
2016	$18,465
2017	$18,559
2018	$18,666
2019	$19,213
2020	$19,807
2021	$20,415
2022	$20,838
2023	$19,953
2024	$21,676

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition (in-state vs out-of-state)

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition — data
Year	In-state	Out-of-state
2000	$2,270	$7,898
2001	$2,352	$8,148
2002	$2,466	$8,496
2003	$2,676	$9,312
2004	$2,808	$9,776
2005	$2,944	$10,260
2006	$3,188	$10,870
2007	$3,514	$12,118
2008	$3,552	$12,184
2013	$5,514	$15,556
2014	$5,613	$15,930
2015	$6,011	$16,585
2016	$6,031	$16,605
2017	$6,134	$16,920
2018	$6,134	$16,920
2019	$6,241	$17,295
2020	$6,241	$17,295
2021	$6,241	$17,295
2022	$5,751	$16,805
2023	$5,751	$16,805

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Columbus State University reports published tuition by residency: $5,898 in-state versus $17,610 out-of-state — a $11,712 gap that makes state lines part of the decision. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Columbus State University reports 5,625 undergraduate students. Enrollment is a headcount, not a measure of teaching access.

41.8% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Columbus State University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

41.8%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Columbus State University rose from 22.8% (entered 1991) to 41.8% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	22.8%
1992 cohort	22.4%
1993 cohort	21.4%
1994 cohort	22.8%
1995 cohort	23.1%
1996 cohort	22.6%
1997 cohort	25.2%
1998 cohort	26.8%
1999 cohort	28.6%
2000 cohort	34%
2001 cohort	32.7%
2002 cohort	28.4%
2003 cohort	33.4%
2004 cohort	33.3%
2005 cohort	31%
2006 cohort	34.4%
2007 cohort	30.1%
2008 cohort	32.4%
2009 cohort	29.8%
2010 cohort	30.2%
2011 cohort	32.8%
2012 cohort	36.9%
2013 cohort	38%
2014 cohort	38.2%
2015 cohort	42.7%
2016 cohort	43.4%
2017 cohort	41.7%
2018 cohort	41.8%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$9,000	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$9,654	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$10,499	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$10,500	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$11,000	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$12,666	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$11,625	$3,650
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$11,957	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$15,125	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$15,920	$4,000
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,534	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$15,797	$5,000
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$16,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$18,435	$5,851
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$19,581	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$20,829	$6,947
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$22,708	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$25,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$25,596	$9,513
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$25,768	$10,750
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$26,187	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$25,992	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,880	$10,250
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$9,250

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$39,190

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$41,799

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$44,544

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Columbus State University admitted 3,616 of 3,648 applicants in Fall 2024. The 99.1% rate describes that application pool.

99.1%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $5,751 in-state tuition · 2023–24 5,625 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 800–10601600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Columbus State University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Columbus State University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 440–530 and Math was 360–530 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 800–1060 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	440	500	530
SAT Math	360	440	530
ACT Composite	16	19	22

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Columbus State University received 3,648 applications and admitted 3,616 (99.1%), with 1,150 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

99.1%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	63.8%
Fall 2002	69.3%
Fall 2003	69.8%
Fall 2004	61.9%
Fall 2005	56.3%
Fall 2006	50.2%
Fall 2007	54.2%
Fall 2008	59.6%
Fall 2009	58.7%
Fall 2010	56.2%
Fall 2011	54.4%
Fall 2012	51.9%
Fall 2013	55.4%
Fall 2014	55.2%
Fall 2015	55.7%
Fall 2016	53.2%
Fall 2017	53.4%
Fall 2018	56.4%
Fall 2019	79.4%
Fall 2020	78.3%
Fall 2021	78.5%
Fall 2022	87.8%
Fall 2023	99.2%
Fall 2024	99.1%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

800–1060Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	840	1090
Fall 2002	870	1070
Fall 2003	850	1070
Fall 2004	870	1090
Fall 2005	890	1110
Fall 2006	890	1100
Fall 2007	890	1110
Fall 2008	860	1100
Fall 2009	850	1090
Fall 2010	850	1090
Fall 2011	860	1080
Fall 2012	870	1090
Fall 2013	870	1090
Fall 2014	860	1100
Fall 2015	850	1090
Fall 2016	860	1090
Fall 2017	870	1070
Fall 2018	870	1100
Fall 2019	860	1100
Fall 2020	860	1080
Fall 2021	870	1130
Fall 2022	900	1130
Fall 2023	860	1100
Fall 2024	800	1060

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

16–22Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	17	22
Fall 2003	16	22
Fall 2004	17	22
Fall 2005	16	22
Fall 2006	17	21
Fall 2007	17	22
Fall 2008	17	22
Fall 2009	17	22
Fall 2010	17	22
Fall 2011	17	22
Fall 2012	18	22
Fall 2013	19	23
Fall 2014	18	23
Fall 2015	17	23
Fall 2016	17	23
Fall 2017	18	24
Fall 2018	18	23
Fall 2019	18	22
Fall 2020	17	23
Fall 2021	18	24
Fall 2022	16	23
Fall 2023	17	24
Fall 2024	16	22

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

5,625Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Columbus State University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2024 — up to 6,970 at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 5,625.

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	5,264
Fall 2003	5,938
Fall 2004	6,242
Fall 2005	6,550
Fall 2006	6,695
Fall 2007	6,496
Fall 2008	6,694
Fall 2009	6,833
Fall 2010	6,970
Fall 2011	6,934
Fall 2012	6,915
Fall 2013	6,849
Fall 2014	6,715
Fall 2015	6,743
Fall 2016	6,557
Fall 2017	6,474
Fall 2018	6,266
Fall 2019	6,188
Fall 2020	6,482
Fall 2021	5,986
Fall 2022	5,637
Fall 2023	5,537
Fall 2024	5,625

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

70%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Columbus State University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023 — up to 76% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 70%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	70%
Fall 2003 cohort	71%
Fall 2004 cohort	70%
Fall 2005 cohort	67%
Fall 2006 cohort	71%
Fall 2007 cohort	69%
Fall 2008 cohort	66%
Fall 2009 cohort	70%
Fall 2010 cohort	70%
Fall 2011 cohort	65%
Fall 2012 cohort	66%
Fall 2013 cohort	72%
Fall 2014 cohort	71%
Fall 2015 cohort	73%
Fall 2016 cohort	76%
Fall 2017 cohort	72%
Fall 2018 cohort	72%
Fall 2019 cohort	75%
Fall 2020 cohort	61%
Fall 2021 cohort	65%
Fall 2022 cohort	73%
Fall 2023 cohort	70%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Columbus State University

Faculty pay at Columbus State University averages $105,624 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Columbus State University as a primarily nonresidential campus — most of its 5,625 undergraduates live off campus, and 69.7% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Columbus State University's SAT section-percentile sums are 800–1060 — their midpoint is below the GA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Columbus State University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Columbus State University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Columbus State University99.1%

Georgia median70.7%

National median76.8%

Tuition (in-state)

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Columbus State University$5,898

Georgia median$13,920

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Columbus State University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Columbus State University$44,544

Georgia median$47,290

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Columbus State University, Georgia and national reference values
Metric & basis	Columbus State University	Georgia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	99.1%	70.7%	76.8%
Tuition (in-state)Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$5,898	$13,920	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$44,544	$47,290	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Columbus State University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Columbus State University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 23 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$89,659
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$80,694
Finance and Financial Management Services	$65,380
Management Information Systems and Services	$63,514
Accounting and Related Services	$61,389
Political Science and Government	$57,008
Business/Commerce, General	$53,246
Marketing	$52,588
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	$50,864
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$49,956
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$49,912
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$49,673
Communication and Media Studies	$48,499
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$48,125
Biology, General	$47,819
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$46,723
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	$45,997
Sociology	$44,506
English Language and Literature, General	$42,316
Psychology, General	$41,266
Fine and Studio Arts	$35,560
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$34,931
Music	$18,218

These 23 fields listed for Columbus State University measure earnings after completion. The $44,544 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 11 additional Columbus State University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Columbus State University report?

Columbus State University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 800–1060 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Columbus State University's acceptance rate?

99.1% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 3,616 admitted from 3,648 applicants.

How much does Columbus State University cost?

In-state tuition is $5,898; out-of-state students pay $17,610. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.

What earnings data does Columbus State University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $44,544. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Georgia

Covenant College — 86.5% admitted
College of Coastal Georgia — 98.1% admitted
Brewton-Parker Christian University — 96.5% admitted
Brenau University — 87.8% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.