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Columbia International University: cost, admission and results

Columbia International University is a private nonprofit college in Columbia, South Carolina. It has about 716 undergraduate students. It admits 94% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $18,951 a year.

At a glance

  • 94%Admission rate
  • $18,951Net price a year
  • 50%Graduation rate
  • $44,657Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Columbia, South Carolina 29203
Type
Private nonprofit
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Midsize city
Undergraduate students
716
Graduate students
1,949
Students per teacher
13 to 1
Accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Website
ciu.edu

Getting in

Columbia International University admits 94% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The midpoint ACT score is 21 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees for a year$27,900
Room and meals on campus$11,950
Books and supplies$1,700
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$42,083
Average net price after grants and scholarships$18,951

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off. It is about the same as the median net price of colleges in South Carolina on this site ($18,564). International students normally pay the published tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$17,759
$30,001 to $48,000$16,364
$48,001 to $75,000$17,142
$75,001 to $110,000$20,496
Above $110,000$20,504

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeSC medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year53%68%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)50%44%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$44,657$46,266$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$21,000$21,937$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in South Carolina and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

32% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 36% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 51% women and 49% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 35 of the 46 colleges in South Carolina on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,692.

Other colleges in South Carolina of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Columbia International University?

Columbia International University admits 94% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Columbia International University?

Published tuition and fees are $27,900 a year. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Columbia International University?

50% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in South Carolina How to read these figures