Columbia International University
Columbia, South Carolina · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $26,036What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 94%
- Graduation rate
- 55%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 716
- In-state tuition
- $27,900Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $27,900
- SAT midpoint
- 1,038
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $38,951Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$26,0362/5
Better than 34% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
55%3/5
Better than 43% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$38,9511/5
Better than 12% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$20,0005/5
Better than 81% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$43,045
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$26,036
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 55% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 53% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $20,000 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $38,951 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $23,737 | 35 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Not reported | 34 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 22 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 16 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Not reported | 15 |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | Not reported | 15 |
| Human Services, General | Not reported | 13 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| Psychology, General | Not reported | 8 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | Not reported | 7 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Not reported | 6 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Not reported | 4 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 3 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Not reported | 3 |
| Education, General | Not reported | 2 |
| Religious Education | Not reported | 2 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Not reported | 2 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, General | Not reported | 1 |
| Religious Music and Worship | Not reported | 1 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Not reported | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Not reported | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Public Health | Not reported | Not reported |
| Area Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
All 26 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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