Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. It admits the vast majority of those who apply, costs more than many families imagine before seeing the financial aid letter, and concentrates its academic identity in a single field: the visual and performing arts. None of that, by itself, tells you whether it is the right school for your child. But understanding it thoroughly is something you do need before deciding.
Let’s walk through it together, with the numbers in hand.
Who Columbia College Chicago Is
Let’s start with the basics: what kind of institution it is.
It is a private, four-year, nonprofit college offering programs through the master’s level, although its stated emphasis—and the highest degree level it reports offering regularly—is the bachelor’s degree. The federal system that classifies colleges in this country describes it as a medium-sized school and, according to its most recent profile, primarily residential: at the time of that classification, between one-quarter and one-half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution.
That same system places it among colleges that receive many transfer students from other schools. If your child is considering coming here after starting somewhere else, this matters: before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. The label says many transfer students arrive; it does not say how many credits they bring or how many credits are lost along the way.
It also appears within what that system calls its “inclusive” category—a category that groups schools that did not report admission scores with schools whose scores indicated broad access. The label does not tell you exactly which of those two circumstances applies here, but it points in the same direction as the admission data you will see later: this is an accessible school.
It is in Chicago, within Cook County, in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area. The census code places it in a large city with 250,000 residents or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is right downtown or how easy it is to get there. If your child plans to live at home and commute to class, do yourself a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of the classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map promises.
One point is worth clarifying now, because many families wonder about it and rarely find a clear answer: Columbia College Chicago is not listed as a Historically Black College or University, a Tribal College or University, or a land-grant institution. Those are three different designations with different histories, and none of them applies here. That does not tell you which communities it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly: what cultural centers currently exist, which student organizations are active, and—if you can—talk with someone who already studies there.
The Size of the School and Who Else Will Be There
In the most recent official count, Columbia College Chicago had 6,529 enrolled students: 6,344 undergraduates and 185 graduate students. It is neither a tiny school nor a huge one. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-degree-focused school with very little graduate enrollment.
Here is a figure worth examining closely if your family is Latino: 29 out of every 100 undergraduate students identified as Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four, or more. And compared with nearly a thousand similar private schools, that proportion is among the highest: nine out of ten of those schools report a proportion that is equal or lower.
Put plainly: being Latino would not be the exception on this campus.
But this is where I need to temper that excitement with something important, because it is one of those truths best stated plainly: a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. That number tells you how many there are. It does not say whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether targeted tutoring is available, or whether those students complete their degrees. It is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific program that interests your child. Counting students is not the same as supporting them.
Two other quick facts about who will share the classroom with your child: among undergraduates, there are more women than men—62 out of every 100—and adult students ages 25 to 64 are a minority: just 6 out of every 100. It is mostly a campus of young, full-time students.
How the Academic Year Works
The calendar here is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with consistent dates for everyone.
The school reported that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, work, portfolios, prior certifications, military training, and other avenues. This sounds generous, and it can be. But the fact that the school reports accepting it does not mean your child will receive credit automatically. It does not say what AP scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward the specific program that interests your child. Request a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until they have been confirmed.
A separate point that is relevant for some families: the institution does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
Where the Academic Offerings Are Concentrated
Here is one of the most important facts for understanding what kind of school Columbia College Chicago is.
In a recent year, the institution awarded 1,297 bachelor’s degrees across 13 program families. But 770 of those 1,297 degrees—59 out of every 100, more than half—were in the visual and performing arts.
This is not a school with an evenly distributed selection across many fields. It is a school built primarily around the arts. Compared with nearly a thousand similar private schools, Columbia College Chicago falls within the quarter with the fewest program families represented in its reported bachelor’s-degree catalog.
What does this mean for your family? If your child wants to study film, design, music, theater, photography, or something within that world, this concentration may be exactly what your child is looking for. If your child wants engineering, business, or science, this is not the school’s natural territory, even if the institutional catalog includes those fields to some extent.
The fact that one field accounts for nearly everything does not say whether it is the best option, nor does it say anything about the specific quality of the program that interests your child. Ask about the exact program: request the curriculum, ask how many students graduated from it last year, and find out how easy it is to secure a place in the required classes.
Regarding group size, the school reports a student-to-full-time-equivalent-faculty ratio of 15 to one. It is generally a middle-range figure, but compared with similar schools, it falls within the highest quarter—meaning more students per professor than at most peer schools. Keep in mind that this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institutional calculation, not a direct measure of the classroom where your child will sit.
The institution also reports two structured academic opportunities: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research.
Getting In: What They Require and What They Make Easier
Let’s turn to what you are probably most eager to understand: how difficult it is to get in and what the school requires.
Columbia College Chicago does not have open admission—it reviews an application before saying yes—but of nine possible admission considerations, it marked only two as required: the high school record and, when applicable, an English proficiency exam.
This last point deserves your full attention if your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish: ask now whether that exam is required and what would qualify your child for an exemption. It is the kind of issue families discover late, when there is no longer enough time to resolve it comfortably.
The rest—grade point average, class rank, completed coursework, essay, recommendation letters, portfolio or competency exam, and work experience—is not required, but is considered if submitted. The published application fee is $25.
Here is a fact you probably already suspected from everything else we have seen: 91 out of every 100 first-time applicants received an offer of admission in the most recent cycle, from 7,873 applications. Compared with nearly a thousand similar private schools, this places it on the more accessible side: seven out of ten of those schools accept an equal or smaller percentage.
This is a school that does accept students. Even so, 695 applicants did not receive an offer of admission: getting in is likely, not automatic, and the application must be complete and submitted on time.
And here is something many families overlook: getting in and enrolling are two different decisions. Of every 100 admitted applicants, only 22 ultimately enrolled. The other 78 had a place here and chose something else. That is not a mark against the school—the record does not say why each person made that decision—but it does tell you something useful: other people’s decisions do not predict yours. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what it will actually cost you—before crossing this school off your list or confirming it.
Another reassuring fact for some families: Columbia College Chicago reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in its admission decision, even if they are submitted. This policy does not cover scholarships or course placement; ask about those separately.
Finally, regarding transfers: of the class that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor’s degrees, 31 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing a degree here. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools. The report does not give anyone’s reason, and there is something important here that almost no one explains: a student who transfers and completes a degree elsewhere is not counted as a Columbia College Chicago graduate. That fact matters when we examine graduation rates later.
The Price: What Is Published and What Is Actually Paid
At Columbia College Chicago, among 437 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $21,821. Among 181 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $27,380; among 269 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $36,054. For dependent students, the income bracket combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income bracket (437 students) and the average for the highest-income bracket (269 students) is $14,233. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $29,790.
Even after grants and scholarships were deducted, the average net price for families in the lowest-income bracket was $21,821 in academic year 2022-23. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
Because the price changes so much from one income bracket to another, identifying yours correctly is the first step. The income brackets in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the one in the financial aid letter sent to you.
Grants, Aid, and Loans: The Other Side of the Bill
The good news is that receiving aid here is the norm, not the exception: 95 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among recipients, the average for the year was $19,108. And 43 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal grant for families with demonstrated financial need.
Be careful not to read these numbers as a personal promise. They describe what happened to other students in a specific year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the scholarship if your child’s grades decline.
Now for the debt side, stated plainly: 57 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Among those who borrowed, the average amount was $6,602 for that school year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year during the four years of the degree, the total would be around $26,408—before interest, and without counting loans that parents might sign for separately or debt from banks or credit cards.
Financing with debt is common here. Calculate the full amount before anyone signs anything. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end of the first semester.
The institution also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan as an option for managing the cost throughout the year.
Campus Life: Housing, Sports, and Everything Else
Columbia College Chicago has institution-controlled housing and meal plans, and it does not require all first-time students to live there. The reported maximum capacity of institution-controlled housing is 2,158 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child requests one: confirm the price, application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, the school did not mark any reported opportunity—not the general option or any of the three branches. That does not prove there is no nearby pathway; if that scholarship matters to your family, ask about it directly before ruling it out.
Regarding sports, Columbia College Chicago reports that it does not participate in intercollegiate athletics and does not belong to any national athletic association. If sports are part of your child’s plan, this matters in the decision. Ask whether intramural leagues or sports clubs are available, which are not the same as a competitive college team.
The school offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, although it is a minority option: among undergraduates, the share taking all their classes at a distance is just 1 out of every 100. It does not report a complete program that can be finished entirely online.
The library operates with paid staff and reports annual spending above the threshold tracked by the federal government; it has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. That is a baseline, not a guarantee that the specific databases needed for your child’s program are available: ask using the program’s name.
Among the services the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment assistance for current students, placement services for those completing their programs, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military service members, a student veterans organization, and a published web address for disability services.
How Many Stay and How Many Finish
And here we reach the hardest part to explain clearly, without dramatizing it or softening it too much.
Of the class that entered in the fall of 2022 as first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 64 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degrees one year later. That leaves 36 out of every 100 outside that outcome. The report does not say what happened to them—whether they transferred, paused their studies, went to work, or had another reason—only that they did not meet that specific criterion. Compared with similar private schools, this retention proportion falls toward the bottom: seven out of ten similar schools retain a larger share of their entering class.
Regarding graduation, among first-time, full-time students who entered bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, 48 out of every 100 had earned a degree from this school six years later. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 39 out of every 100. It is practically an even split: after six years, nearly as many students had completed a degree here as had not. Compared with similar schools, this rate falls in the lower half of the group.
Remember what we saw earlier about transfers: someone who changes schools and graduates elsewhere is not counted as a Columbia College Chicago graduate, even if that person completed a degree. That affects this calculation.
A broader measure, taken at eight years and using a cohort that includes both first-time students and students with previous college experience, shows that 56 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients specifically, the figure falls to 51 out of every 100—eight points below the figure for students who did not receive Pell Grants. Compared with similar schools, it also falls in the lower half of the group.
None of these figures tells you what will happen to your child. They are outcomes for previous cohorts, not a verdict on your child’s. But if your family is going to invest time and money here, it is worth going in with your eyes open and asking directly what concrete support is available to help a student finish: an assigned counselor, emergency assistance, and whether internal scholarships are renewed every year. And request the answers in writing.
What This Article Cannot Tell You
Everything above comes from the university’s official reports to the federal government. Because these data do not say, we do not know what will happen specifically to your child, how much it would cost your family after receiving its own financial aid letter, or whether the exact program that interests your child has its own admission process within the school. Ask about that directly, using the program’s full name.
How to Combine This With Your Decision
You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the pieces you need: what Columbia College Chicago is, how accessible admission is, what it costs in practice, and how often students complete their degrees there.
If your child wants to study something within the world of visual or performing arts, this school exists squarely in that territory. If your child wants something else, it is worth asking how strong that specific program is within a school built primarily around the arts. If money is your family’s biggest concern, the number that matters is not $54,288: it is the one that appears in the financial aid letter bearing your child’s last name. And if finishing in four years matters to your budget, have that conversation with the school before signing, not afterward.
This article does not decide for you. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single fact.
Source note: The information in this article comes from Columbia College Chicago’s reports to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Columbia College Chicago or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data and is not a substitute for direct verification with the college.