US CollegesGetting in
Columbia Southern University has an open admission policy: it does not turn applicants away on grades or test scores, though some courses can have their own requirements.
What it costs
| Tuition and fees for a year | $6,472 |
| Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid | $20,771 |
| Average net price after grants and scholarships | $15,834 |
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 7% below the median net price of colleges in Alabama on this site ($16,956). International students normally pay the published tuition and do not receive US federal aid.
Net price by family income
| Family income a year | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | $15,131 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $14,793 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $16,168 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,722 |
| Above $110,000 | $19,961 |
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
| Measure | This college | AL median | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students who come back for a second year | 71% | 67% | 73% |
| Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length) | 30% | 45% | 49% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting | $66,855 | $48,418 | $53,132 |
| Median federal loan debt of those who finish | $18,888 | $23,250 | $19,994 |
Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Alabama 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. 30% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 36% women and 64% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 3 of the 37 colleges in Alabama on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 2,151.
Other colleges in Alabama of a similar size
- University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, public
- Troy UniversityTroy, public
- University of South AlabamaMobile, public
- Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville, public
- University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, public
- Alabama A & M UniversityNormal, public
Common questions
How much is tuition at Columbia Southern University?
Published tuition and fees are $6,472 a year. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.
What is the graduation rate of Columbia Southern University?
30% 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.