Columbia College Chicago
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Chicago, Illinois
Net price / year
$26,598
after grants & scholarships
higher than 67% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
89%
Graduation rate
50%
within 150% of normal time
lower than 66% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$47,092
4 years after graduating
lower than 83% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Columbia College Chicago at a glance
- What is the tuition at Columbia College Chicago?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $34,088 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at Columbia College Chicago?
- The average cost of attendance is $51,889 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Columbia College Chicago?
- The average net price is $26,598 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago?
- About 89% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- Is Columbia College Chicago test optional?
- Test policy reported to the federal government: Tests neither required nor recommended.
- What is the graduation rate at Columbia College Chicago?
- 50% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn?
- The median graduate earns $47,092 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $20,924 a year on average, versus $36,436 for families earning over $110,000.
- It would take about 9.7 years of the earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate to cover the estimated net cost (not counting income forgone while studying).
- Graduates earn a median $47,092 four years after finishing, less than 83% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Visual and Performing Arts is the largest field of study here, at 74% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
- The school admits 89% of applicants, so most who apply are accepted.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Columbia College Chicago
Average net price
$26,598 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Columbia College Chicago net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$106,392
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $20,924
- $30–48k $21,423
- $48–75k $25,590
- $75–110k $31,677
- $110k+ $36,436
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $51,889
- Tuition & fees$34,088
- Books & supplies$1,900
- Room & board$20,629
- Other expenses$3,290
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $34,088
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $34,088
Columbia College Chicago acceptance rate and admissions
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Tests neither required nor recommended
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Columbia College Chicago
Graduation rate
50%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
65%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$265
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
9.7 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.5×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 6.8%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 52%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $20,974 · median $42,195 · 75th percentile $65,271
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
How borrowers are doing
One year after leaving school and entering repayment, here is where the 4,036 federal-loan borrowers from this college stood. It covers borrowers only, not students who did not take federal loans.
Repayment status one year after entering repayment
- Paid in full 7%
- Making progress 10%
- Not making progress 14%
- Delinquent 3%
- Default 0%
- Forbearance 57%
- Deferment 9%
- Discharged 0%
What the terms mean
- Paid in full:
- The borrower has paid off the loans completely.
- Making progress:
- Payments are reducing the loan balance, not just covering interest.
- Not making progress:
- The borrower is paying, but not enough to shrink the balance.
- Delinquent:
- Payments are late but the loan is not yet in default.
- Default:
- The borrower has missed payments for so long that the loan is officially in default.
- Forbearance:
- Payments are temporarily paused or reduced, and interest may keep adding up.
- Deferment:
- Payments are on hold for an approved reason, such as returning to school.
- Discharged:
- The loan was cancelled, for example because of a disability or a school closure.
4,036 borrowers · Data period: Borrowers who entered repayment in the AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 cohorts (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Columbia College Chicago ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Bachelor's · Graduates: 103 | $66,798 | 1 yr$39,7944 yrs$66,7985 yrs$56,607 | U.S. median $63,560 U.S. middle half $45.9K–$83.7K · Above the U.S. median | $24,225 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 78 | $65,686 | 1 yr$36,3864 yrs$65,6865 yrs$62,207 | U.S. median $69,303 U.S. middle half $49.7K–$93.2K · Below the U.S. median | $25,250 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 137 | $56,482 | 1 yr$34,7984 yrs$56,4825 yrs$61,887 | U.S. median $68,257 U.S. middle half $47.6K–$93.6K · Below the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Bachelor's · Graduates: 120 | $54,357 | 1 yr$24,1914 yrs$54,3575 yrs$44,985 | U.S. median $50,497 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$70.1K · Above the U.S. median | $23,400 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 87 | $51,639 | 1 yr$31,3694 yrs$51,6395 yrs$49,778 | U.S. median $56,278 U.S. middle half $40.6K–$73.9K · Below the U.S. median | $24,525 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Bachelor's · Graduates: 216 | $50,592 | 1 yr$23,8444 yrs$50,5925 yrs$37,460 | U.S. median $48,240 U.S. middle half $31.6K–$64.9K · Above the U.S. median | $25,000 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 31 | $49,593 | 1 yr$25,9994 yrs$49,5935 yrs$38,616 | U.S. median $55,693 U.S. middle half $40.3K–$72.2K · Below the U.S. median | $26,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 395 | $48,601 | 1 yr$29,6304 yrs$48,6015 yrs$46,082 | U.S. median $51,490 U.S. middle half $33K–$70.6K · Below the U.S. median | $24,500 |
| American Sign Language Bachelor's · Graduates: 48 | $45,619 | 1 yr$33,7754 yrs$45,6195 yrs$48,564 | U.S. median $45,044 U.S. middle half $30.5K–$59.5K · Above the U.S. median | $26,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 17 Small sample | $44,703 | — | U.S. median $51,710 U.S. middle half $34.9K–$68.1K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Show all 18 programs
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 59 | $43,970 | 1 yr$26,3094 yrs$43,9705 yrs$65,596 | U.S. median $43,283 U.S. middle half $27.2K–$64.3K · Above the U.S. median | $20,000 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 113 | $43,731 | 1 yr$20,9274 yrs$43,7315 yrs$46,106 | U.S. median $44,889 U.S. middle half $26.7K–$61.6K · Below the U.S. median | $26,250 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 53 | $42,176 | 1 yr$22,7654 yrs$42,1765 yrs$41,142 | U.S. median $41,367 U.S. middle half $26.2K–$56.7K · Above the U.S. median | $25,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 39 | $41,842 | 4 yrs$41,8425 yrs$28,579 | U.S. median $39,980 U.S. middle half $24.9K–$57.3K · Above the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts Bachelor's · Graduates: 523 | $41,200 | 1 yr$23,9054 yrs$41,2005 yrs$36,486 | U.S. median $43,765 U.S. middle half $26K–$63.4K · Below the U.S. median | $25,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 103 | $40,734 | 1 yr$19,9434 yrs$40,7345 yrs$32,406 | U.S. median $42,892 U.S. middle half $26K–$58.8K · Below the U.S. median | $25,625 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Bachelor's · Graduates: 274 | $39,986 | 1 yr$17,9294 yrs$39,9865 yrs$33,746 | U.S. median $39,775 U.S. middle half $25.5K–$55.4K · Above the U.S. median | $25,500 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 87 | $39,751 | 1 yr$25,0604 yrs$39,7515 yrs$39,240 | U.S. median $48,471 U.S. middle half $32.2K–$67.3K · Below the U.S. median | $27,000 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 39.5%
- Black or African American 18.7%
- Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
- Asian 3.7%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 4.8%
- U.S. nonresident 4%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 0.9%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 39.6%
- Women 60.4%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
6%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,368
- Part-time students
- 4%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 46%
- Receive federal loans
- 56%
- Students per faculty member
- 15 : 1
- Setting
- City
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL
Net price $26,975Earnings $57,675
-
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL
Net price $22,221Earnings $46,905
-
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Net price $22,736Earnings $60,377
-
Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL
Net price $20,194Earnings $58,796
-
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, OH
Net price $23,589Earnings $49,762
-
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, OK
Net price $25,365Earnings $54,666
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Illinois
In Illinois
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Columbia College Chicago?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Columbia College Chicago reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $34,088. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Columbia College Chicago?
The average cost of attendance at Columbia College Chicago is $51,889 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $26,598 a year. That is around the middle of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Columbia College Chicago get?
46% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 56% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $20,924 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $36,436 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago?
Columbia College Chicago admitted about 89% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Columbia College Chicago?
50% of first-time, full-time students at Columbia College Chicago finish within 150% of normal time. 65% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Columbia College Chicago graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $47,092 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $24,908.
Is Columbia College Chicago worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Columbia College Chicago, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 9.7 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $25,000, about 0.5 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 50% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Columbia College Chicago graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $25,000, or about $265 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things