Columbia Southern University

Masters Colleges and Universities

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2017 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,280

4.76% growth from 2016

2017 Average Net Price

$11,061

After Financial Aid

2016 Student Loan

9.6%

Default Rate

2017 Enrolled Students

20,818

68.9% Full-Time

2017 Graduation Rate

24.1%

101 Graduates

About

Costs

Enrollment

Graduates

Operations

About

Columbia Southern University is a higher education institution located in Baldwin County, AL. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Columbia Southern University were General Business Administration & Management (985 degrees awarded), Occupational Safety & Health Technology (742 degrees), and Criminal Justice - Police Science (331 degrees).

In 2017, 7,611 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Columbia Southern University. 35.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 64.1% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (4,238 degrees), 2.36 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1794 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Columbia Southern University is $5,280, which is $-15,453 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,733).

Photo by Alex Proimos

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMasters Colleges and Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Columbia Southern University is $5,280, which is $-15,453 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,733).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $11,061.

In 2017, 86% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 31% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$5,280

2017 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2017, the cost of tuition at Columbia Southern University was $5,280. The cost of tuition at Columbia Southern University is $-15,453 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,733).

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

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Average Net Price

$11,061

2017 Value

7.52%

1 Year Growth

In 2017 Columbia Southern University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $11,061. Between 2016 and 2017, the average net price of Columbia Southern University grew by 7.52%.

This chart compares the average net price of Columbia Southern University (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.

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Other Student Expenses

$6,372

Room and Board

$680

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Columbia Southern University was of $6,372 in 2017. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $680. The cost of room and board increased by 1.14% between 2016 and 2017. The cost of books and supplies increased by 8.97% during the same period.

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

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Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

86%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

31%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

86% of undergraduate students at Columbia Southern University received grants or loans in 2017. This represents a growth of 3.61% with respect to 2016, when 83% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Columbia Southern University (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.

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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.

9.6%

2016 Default Rate

444

Number of Defaults

In 2016 the default rate for borrower's at Columbia Southern University was 9.6%, which represents 444 out of the 4623 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.

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Enrollment

Columbia Southern University has a total enrollment of 20,818 students. The full-time enrollment at Columbia Southern University is 14,335 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,483. This means that 68.9% of students enrolled at Columbia Southern University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Columbia Southern University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 56.2% White, 23.2% Black or African American, 7.06% Hispanic or Latino, 3.53% Asian, 3.25% Two or More Races, 1.03% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.187% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Columbia Southern University in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Male (36.8%), followed by White Female (21.6%) and Black or African American Female (14.3%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority White Male (27.8%), followed by Black or African American Female (19.1%) and White Female (17%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

68.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Columbia Southern University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 20,818 students. The full-time enrollment at Columbia Southern University is 14,335 and the part-time enrollment is 6,483. This means that 68.9% of students enrolled at Columbia Southern University are enrolled full-time compared with 68.6% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

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

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Retention Rate over Time

50%

2017 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 Southern University was 50%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (75%), Columbia Southern University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

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

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    11,698

  2. Black or African American

    4,826

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    1,469

The enrolled student population at Columbia Southern University is 56.2% White, 23.2% Black or African American, 7.06% Hispanic or Latino, 3.53% Asian, 3.25% Two or More Races, 1.03% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.187% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. 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 54.4% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.2% 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, 1,139 students (5.47%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2017, 2143 fewer women than men received degrees from Columbia Southern University. The majority of degree recipients at Columbia Southern University are white (4,238 degrees awarded). There were 2.36 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1794 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Columbia Southern University is General Business Administration & Management (985 degrees awarded), followed by Occupational Safety & Health Technology (742 degrees) and Criminal Justice - Police Science (331 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Columbia Southern University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Engineering Technologies (1,701 degrees awarded), Protective Services (1,802 degrees), and Natural Resources & Conservation (138 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Accountants & auditors

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Columbia Southern University are Accountants & auditors (1,091,487 people), Other managers (668,611 people), Financial managers (422,563 people), Chief executives & legislators (316,532 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (282,309 people).

The most specialized majors at Columbia Southern University are Engineering Technologies (1,701 degrees awarded), Protective Services (1,802 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (138 degrees), Business (3,138 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (81 degrees).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Physicians

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Columbia Southern University are Physicians, Surgeons, Marketing managers, Dentists, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

The most specialized majors at Columbia Southern University are Engineering Technologies (1,701 degrees awarded), Protective Services (1,802 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (138 degrees), Business (3,138 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (81 degrees).

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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 Southern University are Elementary & secondary schools (561,993 people), Banking & related activities (492,848 people), Justice, public order, & safety activities (466,062 people), Computer Systems Design (450,038 people), and Insurance carriers (392,684 people).

The most specialized majors at Columbia Southern University are Engineering Technologies (1,701 degrees awarded), Protective Services (1,802 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (138 degrees), Business (3,138 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (81 degrees).

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Degrees

Majors Awarded

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

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    985 degrees awarded

  2. Occupational Safety & Health Technology

    742 degrees awarded

  3. Criminal Justice - Police Science

    331 degrees awarded

In 2017, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Columbia Southern University was General Business Administration & Management with 985 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree recipients from bachelors degree programs at Columbia Southern University according to their major.

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Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

Degrees Awarded to Men

  1. 4,877

  2. 2,734

In 2017, 4,877 degrees were awarded to men at Columbia Southern University, which is 1.78 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,734).

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

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2017, 1344 degrees were awarded to men at Columbia Southern University in Occupational Safety & Health Technology, which is 3.76 times more than the 357 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2017, 1339 degrees were awarded to women at Columbia Southern University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.06 times more than the 1258 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

21%

100% Completion Time

27%

150% Completion Time

In 2017, 21% of students graduating from Columbia Southern University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 27% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 27% 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.

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Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Hispanic or Latino Female

Highest Graduation Rate (54.5%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Columbia Southern University is Female and Hispanic or Latino (54.5% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (68.1%).

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, 0% of graduates (0 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    4,238 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    1,794 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    539 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Columbia Southern University is white (4,238 degrees awarded). There were 2.36 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1794 degrees).

7.08% of degree recipients (539 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

  1. White Male

    3,012 degrees awarded

  2. White Female

    1,226 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American Female

    955 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Columbia Southern University is white male (3,012 degrees awarded). There were 2.46 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,226 degrees).

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Operations

Columbia Southern University has an endowment valued at nearly $N/A, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $89.8k (N/A%), compared to the 6.94% average return ($2.3M on $33.1M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2017, Columbia Southern University had a total salary expenditure of $70.3M. Columbia Southern University employs 141 Instructors, 0 N/A, and 0 N/A. Most academics at Columbia Southern University are Male Instructors (85), Female Instructors(56), and N/A (0).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Columbia Southern University are: Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services, with 207 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 83 employees, and Management with 59 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$N/A

2017 Endowment

0%

growth from 2016

Columbia Southern University has an endowment valued at about $N/A, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The endowment of Columbia Southern University stayed 0% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $N/A approximately the same as than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Columbia Southern University (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: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

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Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

  1. $0 - Federal

  2. $0 - State

  3. $0 - Local

As of 2017, Columbia Southern University received $0 in grants and contracts from the federal government, $0 from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

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Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$28.4M

2017 Salaries

6.83%

growth from 2016

In 2017, Columbia Southern University paid a median of $28.4M in salaries, which represents 40.3% of their overall expenditure ($70.3M) and a 6.83% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 6.24% decline from 2015 and a 17% growth from 2014.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 31.4M (40.5% of overall expenditures).

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Instructional Salaries

$7.78M

Instructional Salaries

141

Number of Employees

In 2017, Columbia Southern University paid a total of $7.78M to 141 employees working as instructors, which represents 27.4% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $16.8M (34%) for similar Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs.

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Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Instructor

Most Common Instructor

141 Employees

Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

207 Employees

In 2017, the most common positions for instructional staff at Columbia Southern University were Instructor with 141 employees; false with 0 employees; and false with 0 employees.

In 2017, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Columbia Southern University were Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 207 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 83 employees; and Management with 59 employees.

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Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

  1. Male Instructor

  2. Female Instructor

  3. false

In 2017, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Columbia Southern University was Male Instructor with 85 employees, Female Instructor with 56 employees, and false with 0 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Columbia Southern University.

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