- The Inkwell
- Alabama
- Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, ALTown: fringeZIP 36561Founded 1993
- Sector
- Private for-profit
- Founded
- 1993
- Carnegie class
- Master's: larger programs
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Federal aid since
- 2008
- Website
- www.columbiasouthern.edu
AlabamaPrivate for-profit
Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university in Orange Beach, Alabama, with 12,176 undergraduates. It graduates 30% within six years and costs $15,834 a year after aid.
30%graduate
Retention71%
4-year graduation22%
Pell Grant share32%
Federal loans30%
$15,834net price / year
openadmissions
—average SAT
30%graduate in 6 years
$66,855median earnings, 10 yrs
$18,888median debt
#491 of 1,704 for earnings#550 of 1,739 for lowest net price#1,540 of 1,738 for graduation rate
what it costs
Cost and net price
Net price is the average annual cost after grants and scholarships for full-time students who receive federal aid; it varies with family income.
Published cost
- Cost of attendance
- $20,771tuition, fees, housing, books, per year
- Tuition & fees, in-state
- $6,472
- Tuition & fees, out-of-state
- $6,472
- Average net price
- $15,834national median $19,980
Net price by family income
$0–30,000$15,131
$30,001–48,000$14,793
$48,001–75,000$16,168
$75,001–110,000$15,722
$110,001+$19,961
getting in
Admissions and test scores
Admission
- Admission rate
- open admissionsnational median 77%
- Average SAT
- —
- SAT reading, middle 50%
- —
- SAT math, middle 50%
- —
- ACT composite, middle 50%
- —
Against the national median
Retention · this college71%
Retention · U.S. median76%
Graduation · this college30%
Graduation · U.S. median55%
Pell share · this college32%
Pell share · U.S. median39%
after enrolling
Graduation, earnings and debt
Completion
- Graduation rate, 6 years
- 30%within 150% of normal time
- Graduation rate, 4 years
- 22%
- First-year retention
- 71%
- Award within 8 years, all students
- 49%
Earnings and debt
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $62,501
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $66,855middle 50%: $40,971–$98,433
- Median debt at graduation
- $18,888
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Earnings ten years after entry
Upper quarter$98,433
Median, Columbia Southern University$66,855
Lower quarter$40,971
U.S. median, all colleges$58,886
Former students working and not enrolled · College Scorecard
who studies here
Students and faculty
Undergraduates
- Degree-seeking undergraduates
- 12,176
- Part-time
- 34%
- Women / men
- 36% / 64%
- Average age at entry
- 34.8
- First-generation students
- 54%
- Pell Grant recipients
- 32%
Faculty and resources
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- 37 : 1
- Full-time faculty
- 40%
- Average faculty salary
- $4,485 / month
- Instructional spending per student
- $1,191
Race and ethnicity, undergraduates
White61%
Hispanic1.3%
Black19%
Asian1.5%
Two or more races2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.7%
Unknown13%
10 fields of study
Most popular fields
Share of bachelor’s degrees awarded, by broad field (CIP family).
Homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting38%
Engineering technologies24%
Business & management20%
Health professions10%
Computer & information sciences5.3%
Liberal arts & humanities1.8%
Natural resources & conservation1.7%
Education0.1%
keep comparing
Similar colleges
Private for-profit colleges in Alabama
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strayer University-Alabama Birmingham, AL | — | 0% | $44,016 |
| South University-Montgomery Montgomery, AL | $23,872 | 12% | $39,314 |
Same Carnegie class, similar price
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sul Ross State University Alpine, TX | $16,255 | 30% | $47,311 |
| Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA | $16,579 | 27% | $38,786 |
| Governors State University University Park, IL | $15,833 | 23% | $61,863 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO | $13,803 | 32% | $57,612 |
| New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, NM | $18,315 | 30% | $48,104 |
| Texas A&M University-San Antonio San Antonio, TX | $14,298 | 34% | $58,747 |
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education — institution file, most recent cohorts. UNITID 450933. Founding year, motto and memberships: Wikidata Q5149845.