Fortis College-Columbia

Frequently asked questions

About Fortis College-Columbia

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 Fortis College-Columbia located?

Fortis College-Columbia is located in Columbia, SC, in the United States.

What type of institution is Fortis College-Columbia?

Fortis College-Columbia is a private community college based in SC. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.

Is Fortis College-Columbia open admission?

Yes. Fortis College-Columbia reports an open admission policy to the federal IPEDS survey (IPEDS, admission policy reported in the 2024-25 IC collection), which IPEDS defines as accepting any student who applies. Individual programs, often nursing and other health programs, can still set their own entry requirements, so check the program you want with the college.

What is the tuition at Fortis College-Columbia?

Fortis College-Columbia's published in-state tuition is approximately $14,777 per year (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25). 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 Fortis College-Columbia?

Fortis College-Columbia reports total enrollment of approximately 582 students (undergraduate plus graduate) (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.

How much does Fortis College-Columbia actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Fortis College-Columbia is approximately $20,404 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 $19,599 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $34,276. 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 Fortis College-Columbia?

Fortis College-Columbia reports a graduation rate of approximately 43% (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021). 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 Fortis College-Columbia have?

Students who borrowed at Fortis College-Columbia left with a median of approximately $12,547 in federal loans, and about 72% 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 Fortis College-Columbia earn?

Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $36,368 for students who received federal financial aid at Fortis College-Columbia. 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 Fortis College-Columbia?

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 Fortis College-Columbia.

How much do Nursing (RN) graduates from Fortis College-Columbia earn?

Fortis College-Columbia's associate's graduates in Nursing (RN) earned a median $80,337 four years after graduating, about the same as the $80,813 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $69,200; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $29,028 in federal loans at this college (about $308 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $42,650 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level). The figure is reported for all 5 campuses that share Fortis College-Columbia's federal aid ID. For context, registered nurses in South Carolina are paid a median $82,360 a year across all experience levels (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), a figure for everyone in the job, not only recent graduates.

How much do Medical Assisting and Allied Health graduates from Fortis College-Columbia earn?

Fortis College-Columbia's certificate graduates in Medical Assisting and Allied Health earned a median $35,098 four years after graduating, about the same as the $34,272 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $27,198; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans at this college (about $101 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $10,263 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level). The figure is reported for all 5 campuses that share Fortis College-Columbia's federal aid ID.

Which programs at Fortis College-Columbia have the highest graduate earnings?

Among the 4 programs at Fortis College-Columbia with a federal earnings figure from at least 30 graduates, the highest medians four years after graduating were Nursing (RN), associate's ($80,337); HVAC Technology, certificate ($46,867); and Medical Assisting and Allied Health, certificate ($35,098) (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). That order is one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality: earnings reflect the field and where graduates go to work as well as the program.

Does Fortis College-Columbia get a "lower earnings" warning on the FAFSA?

No. In the Department of Education's March 2026 data, which the FAFSA uses now, Fortis College-Columbia's graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $43,217, above the $34,635 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 nationally, so first-year students who list it do not see the lower-earnings notice. The figure describes the whole institution, not any one program.