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Columbia College: tuition, cost and admissions

Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit university · City (mid)

1,136Undergraduates

98%Acceptance rate

972Average SAT

$18,880Avg net cost / yr

See Columbia College on the map → Official website

What Columbia College actually costs

Item	Amount
Tuition & fees (in-state)	$22,050	Published rate before aid
Tuition & fees (out-of-state)	$22,050	Published rate before aid
Room & board (on campus)	$8,400	Annual
Books & supplies	$1,240	Estimated annual
Total sticker cost	$34,974	Everything, before aid
Average actual cost paid	$18,880	Average paid after grants and scholarships — an average, not a quote

Across all students, the average paid here was $16,094 less than the sticker price — about 46% off, once grants and scholarships are counted. Individual awards vary enormously, and many students receive nothing at all.

Do your own due diligence on cost. Every figure above is a historical federal average for all students at this college. No student pays the average. What you are charged depends on your family’s income and assets, your academic record, the year you apply, and what aid this college has available — and it changes year to year. Use these numbers to decide which colleges are worth investigating, never to decide what one will cost you. Run the college’s own net price calculator — every US college is required by law to publish one — then confirm in writing with its financial aid office before committing to anything. We are not financial, admissions or tax advisers and have no relationship with this college.

Most popular fields of study

Homeland Security & Law Enforcement — 24%

Health Professions — 17%

Education — 11%

Business, Management & Marketing — 11%

Public Administration & Social Service — 9%

Psychology — 8%

Biological & Biomedical Sciences — 4%

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies — 3%

Share of degrees awarded, US Dept. of Education.

Varsity athletics at Columbia College

Athletic association	NAIA
Men’s varsity sports (7)	Soccer (37), Track & Field (31), Basketball (16), Golf (11), Tennis (11), Cross Country (6), Swimming & Diving (4)
Women’s varsity sports (9)	Track & Field (35), Soccer (29), Softball (25), Basketball (21), Volleyball (17), Swimming & Diving (9), Tennis (9), Cross Country (6), Golf (2)
Softball conference	-
Head softball coach	Breanne Shearin

Squad sizes in brackets, from the federal Equity in Athletics survey (2024–25). Filter by sport and division on the interactive map.

Plan a visit and compare

Add Columbia College to your shortlist, score it against other colleges side by side, and plan a campus visit route from your front door with the free My University View map.

Other colleges in South Carolina

University of South Carolina-Columbia · Clemson University · College of Charleston · Coastal Carolina University · Trident Technical College · Greenville Technical College · Midlands Technical College · Horry-Georgetown Technical College