Columbia College Chicago

www.colum.edu

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$26,610

1.99% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$32,111

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

9.27%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

90.2%

7,430 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

6,947

92.7% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

48.1%

958 Graduates

About

Columbia College Chicago is a higher education institution located in Cook County, IL. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Columbia College Chicago were Cinematography & Film Production (271 degrees awarded), Graphic Design (90 degrees), and Music Management (69 degrees).

In 2019, 1,678 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Columbia College Chicago. 59.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 40.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (946 degrees), 4.2 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (225 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Columbia College Chicago is $26,610, which is $4,584 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($22,027).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Columbia College Chicago is $26,610, which is $4,584 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($22,027).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $32,111.

In 2019, 77% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 65% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$26,610

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at Columbia College Chicago was $26,610. The cost of tuition at Columbia College Chicago is $4,584 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($22,027).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Columbia College Chicago (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$32,111

2019 Value

2.69%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 Columbia College Chicago had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $32,111. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of Columbia College Chicago grew by 2.69%.

This chart compares the average net price of Columbia College Chicago (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$14,012

Room and Board

$1,600

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Columbia College Chicago was of $14,012 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,600. The cost of room and board increased by 2.8% between 2018 and 2019. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Columbia College Chicago (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

77%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

65%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

77% of undergraduate students at Columbia College Chicago received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 4.05% with respect to 2018, when 74% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Columbia College Chicago (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

9.27%

2017 Default Rate

261

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at Columbia College Chicago was 9.27%, which represents 261 out of the 2817 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Columbia College Chicago received 7,430 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 8.51% annual decline. Out of those 7,430 applicants, 6,703 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 90.2% acceptance rate.

There were 6,947 students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago in 2019, and N/A% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Columbia College Chicago has an overall enrollment yield of 26.1%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

90.2%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

6,703

Accepted Out of 7,430

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Columbia College Chicago was 90.2% (6,703 admissions from 7,430 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 86.8%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants declined by −8.51%, while admissions declined by −4.85%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Columbia College Chicago (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

N/A%

Submission Percentage

N/A

Scores Submitted

N/A% of enrolled first-time students at Columbia College Chicago in 2019 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Columbia College Chicago has a total enrollment of 6,947 students. The full-time enrollment at Columbia College Chicago is 6,437 students and the part-time enrollment is 510. This means that 92.7% of students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Columbia College Chicago, both undergraduate and graduate, is 51.1% White, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Black or African American, 4.82% Two or More Races, 3.71% Asian, 0.158% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.158% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (29.8%), followed by White Male (21.5%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (11%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (23.8%), followed by White Male (15.7%) and Black or African American Female (13.5%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

92.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Columbia College Chicago, both undergraduate and graduate, is 6,947 students. The full-time enrollment at Columbia College Chicago is 6,437 and the part-time enrollment is 510. This means that 92.7% of students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago are enrolled full-time compared with 69.2% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Columbia College Chicago (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

71%

2019 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Columbia College Chicago was 71%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (74%), Columbia College Chicago had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Columbia College Chicago (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
3,547
Hispanic or Latino
1,293
Black or African American
956

The enrolled student population at Columbia College Chicago is 51.1% White, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Black or African American, 4.82% Two or More Races, 3.71% Asian, 0.158% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.158% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 53.3% White, 16% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.9% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 161 students (2.32%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 324 more women than men received degrees from Columbia College Chicago. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Columbia College Chicago is white (946 degrees awarded). There were 4.2 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (225 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Columbia College Chicago is Cinematography & Film Production (271 degrees awarded), followed by Graphic Design (90 degrees) and Music Management (69 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Columbia College Chicago, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Visual & Performing Arts (1,106 degrees awarded), Communication Technologies (110 degrees), and Communications (170 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Columbia College Chicago are Other managers (252,677 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (234,859 people), Postsecondary teachers (183,916 people), Secondary school teachers (154,497 people), and Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (141,248 people).

The most specialized majors at Columbia College Chicago are Visual & Performing Arts (1,106 degrees awarded), Communication Technologies (110 degrees), Communications (170 degrees), English (78 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (28 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Dentists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Columbia College Chicago are Dentists, Chief executives & legislators, Surgeons, Physicians, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Columbia College Chicago are Elementary & secondary schools (576,723 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (417,001 people), Computer Systems Design (209,882 people), Advertising, public relations & related services (139,664 people), and Legal services (136,171 people).

Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Columbia College Chicago.

Most Common

Cinematography & Film Production
271 degree-majorss awarded
Graphic Design
90 degree-majorss awarded
Music Management
69 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Columbia College Chicago was Cinematography & Film Production with 271 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Columbia College Chicago according to their major.

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

677

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

1,001

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 677 degrees were awarded to men at Columbia College Chicago, which is 0.676 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,001).

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Columbia College Chicago by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 172 degrees were awarded to men at Columbia College Chicago in Cinematography & Film Production, which is 1.72 times more than the 100 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 100 degrees were awarded to women at Columbia College Chicago in Cinematography & Film Production, which is 0.581 times less than the 172 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

33%

100% Completion Time

44%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 33% of students graduating from Columbia College Chicago completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 44% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 46% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Male

Highest Graduation Rate (63.6%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Columbia College Chicago is Male and Asian (63.6% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 7.1% of graduates (68 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
946 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
225 degrees awarded
Black or African American
191 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Columbia College Chicago is white (946 degrees awarded). There were 4.2 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (225 degrees).

5.13% of degree recipients (86 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
571 degrees awarded
White Male
375 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
138 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Columbia College Chicago is white female (571 degrees awarded). There were 1.52 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (375 degrees).

Operations

Columbia College Chicago has an endowment valued at nearly $191M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $3.98M (2.09%), compared to the 4.44% average return ($1.71M on $38.5M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2019, Columbia College Chicago had a total salary expenditure of $185M. Columbia College Chicago employs 141 Associate professors, 57 Lecturers, and 34 Professors. Most academics at Columbia College Chicago are Male Associate professors (76), Female Associate professors(65), and Male Lecturers (32).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Columbia College Chicago are: Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 136 employees, Management, with 105 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 70 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$191M

2019 Endowment

3.02%

decline from 2018

Columbia College Chicago has an endowment valued at about $191M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of Columbia College Chicago declined 3.02% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $152M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Columbia College Chicago (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$1.29M - Federal
$1.37M - State
$13.2k - Local

As of 2019, Columbia College Chicago received $1.29M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $1.37M from state grants and contracts, and $13.2k from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$79.3M

2019 Salaries

0.594%

growth from 2018

In 2019, Columbia College Chicago paid a median of $79.3M in salaries, which represents 42.9% of their overall expenditure ($185M) and a 0.594% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 9.93% decline from 2017 and a 0.692% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 34.1M (40.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$20.2M

Instructional Salaries

259

Number of Employees

In 2019, Columbia College Chicago paid a total of $20.2M to 259 employees working as instructors, which represents 25.4% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11.2M (32.7%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

141 Employees

Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

136 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at Columbia College Chicago were Associate professor with 141 employees; Lecturer with 57 employees; and Lecturer with 34 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Columbia College Chicago were Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 136 employees; Management with 105 employees; and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 70 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor
Male Lecturer

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Columbia College Chicago was Male Associate professor with 76 employees, Female Associate professor with 65 employees, and Male Lecturer with 32 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Columbia College Chicago.

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