Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, Alabama · Private for-profit · 4-year · Town

At a glance

Average net price: $14,580What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: Not reported
Graduation rate: 35%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 12,176
In-state tuition: $6,760Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $6,760
SAT midpoint: Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $63,534Median 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 for-profit 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

$14,580

5/5

Better than 93% of private for-profit 4-year colleges (105 compared).

Completion

35%

3/5

Better than 49% of private for-profit 4-year colleges (74 compared).

Earnings

$63,534

4/5

Better than 74% of private for-profit 4-year colleges (127 compared).

Debt at graduation

$21,339

4/5

Better than 68% of private for-profit 4-year colleges (120 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

$18,226

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$14,580

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.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Columbia Southern University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	35%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	71%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$21,339
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$63,534

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.

Bachelor’s programs at Columbia Southern University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$83,927	60
Fire Protection	$82,718	585
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	$78,532	521
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$74,546	61
Homeland Security	$62,313	57
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	$61,894	75
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$60,461	256
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$58,468	594
Human Resources Management and Services	$53,843	96
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$53,644	53
Health and Medical Administrative Services	$51,692	128
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	$38,439	93

All 12 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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