Private for-profit · Mostly bachelor's degrees · Fringe town
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, Alabama. 12,176 undergraduates.
30%Graduation rate24 pts below the national median for similar colleges (54%)
$15,834Average net price per year20% below the national median for similar colleges ($19,899)
$66,855Median earnings 10 years after starting13% above the national median for similar colleges ($58,912)
$18,888Median debt at graduation13% below the national median for similar colleges ($21,609)
Our read
Graduates' median debt ($18,888) equals 28% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($66,855).
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.
Compare net price across collegesPublished tuition and fees: $6,472.
Do students finish, and what do they earn?
| Measure | This college | Similar colleges nationally |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 30% | 54% |
| Return for second year | 71% | 76% |
| Median earnings, 6 years after starting | $62,501 | $49,318 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after starting | $66,855 | $58,912 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,888 | $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
54 programs reported| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 45 | — | $84,349 | $20,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 22 | — | $83,959 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 17 | — | $82,903 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 7 | — | — | — |
| Fire Protection | 19 | — | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 6 | — | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 1 | — | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 2 | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 2 | — | — | — |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 1 | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 7 | — | — | — |
| Marketing | 1 | — | — | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 739 | $87,112 | $96,337 | $27,208 |
| Fire Protection | 932 | $93,578 | $93,980 | $14,907 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 72 | $87,620 | $87,466 | $26,928 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 82 | $69,629 | $81,466 | $30,467 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 141 | $62,249 | $73,345 | $26,549 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 782 | $65,643 | $72,709 | $26,200 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 89 | $62,964 | $72,349 | $33,700 |
| Homeland Security | 81 | $68,183 | $72,349 | $18,466 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 308 | $67,969 | $70,317 | $20,716 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 148 | $57,828 | $68,016 | $27,912 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 91 | $61,960 | — | $26,625 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 111 | $36,217 | $54,512 | $44,706 |
| Security Science and Technology | 3 | — | — | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 505 | $92,492 | $104,096 | — |
| Homeland Security | 193 | $93,023 | $94,357 | — |
| Public Health | 96 | $64,071 | $81,168 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,086 | $75,204 | $78,238 | — |
| Public Administration | 157 | $77,521 | $73,186 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 57 | $65,408 | $66,307 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 3 | — | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 1 | — | — | — |
| Fire Protection | 49 | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 9 | — | — | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 458 | $79,903 | $94,255 | $17,000 |
| Fire Protection | 587 | $86,739 | $87,172 | $10,058 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 101 | $62,956 | $64,309 | $12,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 270 | $58,078 | $62,528 | $20,799 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 134 | $61,493 | $62,057 | $14,138 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 50 | $37,409 | $37,117 | $25,964 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 41 | — | — | $28,237 |
| Homeland Security | 12 | — | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 173 | — | — | $10,500 |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 5 | — | — | — |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 19 | — | — | — |
| Public Administration | 3 | — | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 1 | — | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 4 | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 1 | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 14 | — | — | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | — | — | $94,428 | — |
| Program | Graduates / yr | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 32 | $134,402 | — | — |
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.
Similar colleges in Alabama
Stillman CollegeTuscaloosa · net price $14,781 · grad rate 32%Miles CollegeFairfield · net price $16,497 · grad rate 19%Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery · net price $13,789 · grad rate 35%Alabama A & M UniversityNormal · net price $18,255 · grad rate 28%Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville · net price $17,111 · grad rate 48%Talladega CollegeTalladega · net price $13,528 · grad rate 44%
Quick answers
- How much does Columbia Southern University cost per year?
- The average net price at Columbia Southern University, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,834 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- How much do Columbia Southern University graduates earn?
- Former Columbia Southern University students earn a median of $66,855 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- What is the graduation rate at Columbia Southern University?
- 30% of Columbia Southern University students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
- How much student debt do Columbia Southern University graduates have?
- The median federal student debt at graduation from Columbia Southern University is $18,888. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
