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Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private · Large city · CCC

Private institution in Chicago, IL · 6,294 undergraduates · 91% acceptance rate · $42,195 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$26,7881,575th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$32,5201,394th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$32,5201,326th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$49,7991,467th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$25,0001,238th lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$42,1951,505th highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$32,5961,661st highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
48.5%1,213th highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
64.0%1,477th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
91.2%1,270th most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
—
Median ACT
—

Campus

Undergraduates
6,294407th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
15.0:11,301st smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
43.2%579th highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 9 mi (MDW)

On 2 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
Free
Personal essay
Optional / not required
Writing supplement
No

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 25 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
PhysicsPhysical Sciencesbachelors$61,516—
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationCommunicationsbachelors$38,289$31,133
MarketingBusinessbachelors$37,054$40,355
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusinessbachelors$36,016$36,124
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducationbachelors$35,060—
American Sign LanguageForeign Languagesbachelors$32,925$35,330
JournalismCommunicationsbachelors$32,569$30,635
Design and Applied ArtsVisual & Performing Artsbachelors$30,748$29,737
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansCommunications Technologybachelors$30,264$29,113
Arts, Entertainment,and Media ManagementVisual & Performing Artsbachelors$28,895$27,507
Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationCommunicationsbachelors$28,790$27,222
Fine and Studio ArtsVisual & Performing Artsbachelors$27,048$28,849

Campus facts

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Columbia College Chicago’s 6,294 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In IL

Elsewhere