Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois. 5,368 undergraduates. Admits 89% of applicants.
Graduates' median debt ($25,000) equals 52% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($48,427).
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price for first-time, full-time students who received federal aid, by family income. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Source: College Scorecard.
Do students finish, and what do they earn?
| Measure | This college | Similar colleges nationally |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 47% | 54% |
| Return for second year | 66% | 76% |
| Median earnings, 6 years after starting | $40,125 | $49,318 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after starting | $48,427 | $58,912 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 | $21,609 |
Graduation rate within 150% of normal time; retention is the share of first-year students who return. Earnings are medians for former students who received federal aid, working and not enrolled. National comparison is the median for colleges of the same type (mostly bachelor's degrees).
Programs and what graduates earn
34 programs reported| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 15 | $49,053 | $68,742 | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 28 | — | $63,618 | — |
| Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education | 0 | — | $62,666 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 16 | $47,989 | $52,809 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 1 | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 13 | — | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 7 | — | — | — |
| Music | 12 | — | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 6 | — | — | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 5 | — | — | — |
Program-level medians for graduates who received federal aid. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure to protect privacy, usually because the program is small. At four-year colleges, certificate graduates often earned a bachelor's at the same time, so their earnings can reflect the degree. Source: College Scorecard, field of study data.
Getting in
Similar colleges in Illinois
Quick answers
- How much does Columbia College Chicago cost per year?
- The average net price at Columbia College Chicago, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $36,529 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- How much do Columbia College Chicago graduates earn?
- Former Columbia College Chicago students earn a median of $48,427 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- What is the graduation rate at Columbia College Chicago?
- 47% of Columbia College Chicago students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- How much student debt do Columbia College Chicago graduates have?
- The median federal student debt at graduation from Columbia College Chicago is $25,000. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
