Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private Nonprofit

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91.2%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Median SAT
$42,195
Median Earnings
7,873
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Up 4.4 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Marketing $40,355
$9,706 $106,421
Business Administration, Manag... $36,124
$9,706 $106,421
American Sign Language $35,330
$9,706 $106,421
Graphic Communications $33,993
$9,706 $106,421
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gen... $31,527
$9,706 $106,421
Public Relations, Advertising,... $31,133
$9,706 $106,421
Journalism $30,635
$9,706 $106,421
Design and Applied Arts $29,737
$9,706 $106,421
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 7,873 7,178 91.2% 22.4%
2022 7,701 7,298 94.8% 22.0%
2021 7,218 6,903 95.6% 24.6%
2020 8,061 7,217 89.5% 25.3%
2019 7,430 6,703 90.2% 26.1%
2018 8,121 7,045 86.8% 18.5%
2017 8,121 7,440 91.6% 19.4%
2016 8,324 7,330 88.1% 21.2%
2015 8,391 7,389 88.1% 24.4%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$42,195
Median Earnings (6 years)
$32,596
Median Debt
$25,000
6-Year Graduation Rate
48.5%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

Tuition
$26,610
Fees
$1,176
Room & Board
$16,456
Total Cost of Attendance
$44,242

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $21,821
$30-48k income $22,285
$48-75k income $27,380
$75-110k income $32,896
$110k+ income $36,054

Popular Majors

  • 1 Graphic Communications
  • 2 Film/Video and Photographic Arts
  • 3 Design and Applied Arts
  • 4 Design and Applied Arts
  • 5 Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management

Highest Earning Majors

  • Marketing $40,355
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations $36,124
  • American Sign Language $35,330
  • Graphic Communications $33,993
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies $31,527

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 6,529
International 5%
Women 61%
Race/Ethnicity
White 41%
Hispanic 28%
Black 18%
Asian 3%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 94%
Avg: $19,081 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 43%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 57%
Avg: $6,602
School's Own Grants 99%
Avg: $14,781 from school funds