Regional university
Columbia International University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $26,036 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.47%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.53%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$5,595
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $43,045 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 916 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 24% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 42% |
| Total students | 2,631 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $26,036 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $43,045 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 47% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 56% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 66% |
| First-year retention | 53% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $38,951 |
| Admission rate | 94% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $25 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,164 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 34% |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Teacher education | |
| Business administration | |
| Bible/Biblical Studies |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Area studies, Biology, Broadcasting, Communication studies, Education (general), English, Global studies, Human services, Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Nursing, Pastoral counseling, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Psychology, Public health, Religious Education, Religious Music and Worship, Secondary education, Teaching English as a second language, Theology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Theology and religious studies | |
| Liberal arts and general studies | |
| Public administration and social service | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 8% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 16% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,950 |
| Sports | NAIA · Appalachian Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 7%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 96%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $2,511IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 44% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)About 10 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 79 miles away |
| Town population | 139,643Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | CharlotteAbout 80 miles away · about 1 hour 55 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 48°F in January · 84°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Columbia University Of Sc, SC, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Columbia International University’s Compass Score?
- Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Columbia International University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $26,036 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Columbia International University?
- Columbia International University admitted 94% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Columbia International University’s graduates do?
- 47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $38,951; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 217925
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation; Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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