Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
- Private nonprofit
- City
- 5,368 undergrads
- Admit rate
- 89%Source: College Scorecard
- Average net price
- $36,529per year, after grantsSource: College Scorecard
- Graduation rate
- 49%within 6 yearsSource: College Scorecard
- Median earnings
- $48,42710 years after startingSource: College Scorecard
What's special
Undergraduates can spend a semester at The Second City in Chicago studying comedy writing, performance, and improvisation full time for college credit.
Through the Semester in LA program, Columbia students spend a semester living and studying on a historic studio lot in Los Angeles while earning their degree.
Getting in
- Admit rate
- 89%About 9 in 10 applicants get in.Source: College Scorecard
- Test policy
- Test-blindScores are not considered, even if you send them.Source: College Scorecard
- SAT (middle 50%)
- Not reportedSource: College Scorecard
- ACT (middle 50%)
- Not reportedSource: College Scorecard
Where you'd stand
We don't have test score or GPA figures for Columbia College Chicago's first-year students yet, so there's nothing to compare your numbers with. The admit rate above is the best guide we have.
What it really costs
Most families pay less than the sticker price. Net price is what's left after grants and scholarships.
- Average net price
- $36,529full-time first-years who got grant aidSource: College Scorecard
- Total cost of attendance
- $58,050sticker price incl. housing, per yearSource: College Scorecard
- Tuition
- $37,344Source: College Scorecard
After you enroll
- Graduation rate
- 49%first-time, full-time students finishing within 6 yearsSource: College Scorecard
- Came back for year two
- 66%full-time first-year studentsSource: College Scorecard
- Median earnings
- $48,42710 years after starting, for students who got federal aidSource: College Scorecard
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,000federal loans, students who finishedSource: College Scorecard
Students
- Undergraduates
- 5,368Source: College Scorecard
- Receive Pell grants
- 51%a sign of economic diversitySource: College Scorecard
- First-generation students
- 25%parents didn't go beyond high schoolSource: College Scorecard
Similar schools
Also worth a look
- Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA — admits 84%
- Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL — admits 82%
- Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA — admits 89%
- Butler University Indianapolis, IN — admits 85%
- Roger Williams University Bristol, RI — admits 88%
- Gonzaga University Spokane, WA — admits 82%
Where these numbers come from
Every number on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard page for Columbia College Chicago, which draws on what the school reports to the federal government and on federal student aid and tax records. We last pulled the data on November 4, 2026. Different measures cover different years; here's how each one works.
Spot something wrong? Report a data error.