Need-based aid friendly
Significant share of students receive Pell Grants.
This school46%
National avg32%
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversityprivateVerified data
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$34,088
Out-of-State Tuition
$34,088
Avg On-Campus Living
$20,629
Avg Off-Campus Living
$23,400
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$54,717
Net price (after aid)$26,598
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$20,924
$30k – $48k$21,423
$48k – $75k$25,590
$75k – $110k$31,677
$110k+$36,436
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$42,195
Median debt at graduation$25,000
Est. monthly loan payment$265
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 1.7×Graduates earn about 1.7× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants46%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans56%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
52%
Freshman Retention
66%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Scholarships available
Aid signal
Friendly application paths
Common AppInternational
Open-access admissions
Most qualified applicants are admitted.
Affordability snapshot
Tuition
$34.1k
Net price
$26.6k
Pell
46%
above avg
Median debt
$25k
Earnings (10y)
$42.2k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
89%
SAT range
814 - 1071
ACT range
12 - 22
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Chicago, IL 60605
Academics
Studying online: a small share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 54 of Columbia College Chicago's 6,529 students (1%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 2,566 (39%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
Columbia College Chicago reported conferring credentials in 25 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
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Frequently asked questions
About Columbia College Chicago
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is Columbia College Chicago located?
- Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, IL, in the United States.
- What type of institution is Columbia College Chicago?
- Columbia College Chicago is a private university based in IL. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago is approximately 89%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at Columbia College Chicago?
- Columbia College Chicago's published in-state tuition is approximately $34,088 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend Columbia College Chicago?
- Columbia College Chicago reports total enrollment of approximately 6,479 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does Columbia College Chicago actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at Columbia College Chicago is approximately $26,598 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $20,924 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $36,436. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at Columbia College Chicago?
- Columbia College Chicago reports a graduation rate of approximately 52%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of Columbia College Chicago have?
- Students who borrowed at Columbia College Chicago left with a median of approximately $25,000 in federal loans, and about 56% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $42,195 for students who received federal financial aid at Columbia College Chicago. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about Columbia College Chicago?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with Columbia College Chicago.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 25 fields Columbia College Chicago reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 325 | Graduate28 graduate · 297 bachelor's |
| Design and Applied Arts | 294 | Bachelor's |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 160 | Graduate18 graduate · 142 bachelor's |
| Graphic Communications | 111 | Bachelor's |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 76 | Graduate15 graduate · 61 bachelor's |
| Music | 68 | Graduate12 graduate · 56 bachelor's |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 52 | Graduate16 graduate · 36 bachelor's |
| Physics | 51 | Bachelor's |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 43 | Graduate7 graduate · 36 bachelor's |
| Marketing | 35 | Bachelor's |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 35 | Bachelor's |
| Journalism | 34 | Bachelor's |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 22 | Bachelor's |
| Dance | 20 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideOther colleges in Chicago, ILAll colleges in IllinoisIllinois college costs by family incomeStudent debt at Illinois collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Columbia College Chicago before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of Columbia College Chicago are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). Columbia College Chicago, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/columbia-college-chicago
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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