Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · offers Graduate degrees
89%Acceptance rate
$26,598Average net price / year
52%Graduation rate
$42,195Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$25,000Median debt at graduation
5,368Undergraduates
Cost
- In-state tuition & fees
- $34,088
- Total cost of attendance
- $51,889
- Room & board
- $20,629
- Books & supplies
- $1,900
- Average net price
- $26,598
Net price by family income
- $0–30k
- $20,924
- $30–48k
- $21,423
- $48–75k
- $25,590
- $75–110k
- $31,677
- $110k+
- $36,436
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 89.5%
Outcomes
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- First-year retention
- 66%
- Median earnings (6 yrs)
- $32,596
- Median earnings (10 yrs)
- $42,195
- Median debt (graduates)
- $25,000
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0.0%
- Students with Pell grants
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 56%
Programs: what graduates earn
23 of 40 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).
Bachelor's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 27 | $39,794 | $24,225 |
| Marketing | 47 | $36,386 | $25,250 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 2 | $34,798 | $27,000 |
| American Sign Language | 19 | $33,775 | $26,000 |
| Journalism | 27 | $31,369 | $24,525 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 258 | $29,630 | $24,500 |
| Graphic Communications | 212 | $26,309 | $20,000 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 14 | $25,999 | $26,000 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 46 | $25,060 | $27,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 42 | $24,191 | $23,400 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 162 | $23,905 | $25,000 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 90 | $23,844 | $25,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 52 | $22,765 | $25,000 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | 24 | $20,927 | $26,250 |
| Music | 53 | $19,943 | $25,625 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 140 | $17,929 | $25,500 |
| Dance | 15 | $25,046 | $27,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 6 | $44,703 | — |
Master's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education | 1 | $47,970 | $67,949 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 10 | $35,483 | $83,900 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 29 | $33,972 | $48,604 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 0 | $28,877 | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 16 | $48,304 | — |
Students
- Undergraduates
- 5,368
- Graduate students
- 204
- Part-time
- 4%
- Women / men
- 60% / 40%
- White
- 40%
- Hispanic
- 28%
- Black
- 19%
- Asian
- 4%
- International
- 4%
Faculty & school
- Student–faculty ratio
- 15:1
- Avg faculty salary
- $83,907 / year
- Full-time faculty
- 37%
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Website
- www.colum.edu
- Also known as
- NA
Most popular fields
- Area & Ethnic Studies – 0% of degrees
- Communication & Journalism – 7% of degrees
- Communications Technologies – 6% of degrees
- Computer & Information Sciences – 0% of degrees
- Foreign Languages – 1% of degrees
- English – 5% of degrees
Frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago?
89.5% of applicants were admitted.
How much does Columbia College Chicago cost?
The average net price after grants is $26,598 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $34,088 and the full cost of attendance is $51,889.
How much do Columbia College Chicago graduates earn?
Students who enrolled earn a median of $42,195 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.
What is the graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.
Other colleges in Chicago
| College | Net price | Acceptance | Graduation | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public · 22,170 students |
$10,974 | 77% | 62% | $68,740 |
| DePaul University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 14,090 students |
$30,902 | 76% | 68% | $68,751 |
| Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 11,737 students |
$36,079 | 82% | 73% | $71,530 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 7,569 students |
$14,860 | 4% | 96% | $91,885 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago, IL · Public · 6,409 students |
$7,220 | — | 18% | $32,427 |
| National Louis University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 4,406 students |
$12,641 | 95% | 30% | $45,799 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public · 4,372 students |
$6,375 | — | 31% | $41,625 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Chicago, IL · Public · 4,207 students |
$7,397 | — | 26% | $36,531 |
| Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL · Public · 3,982 students |
$14,109 | 75% | 22% | $52,234 |
| Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 3,096 students |
$10,970 | 84% | 57% | $58,656 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.