Acceptance rate
89.5%
Columbia College Chicago
Admission Chances & Acceptance Rate
Located in Chicago, this private college enrolls about 6,600 students and has an 89.5% acceptance rate. It specializes heavily in visual and performing arts, which account for 70% of degrees awarded. The average net price after aid is $28,387 annually, though the 52% six-year graduation rate is notably lower than many institutions.
Enrollment
6,646
Test policy
optional
Grad rate (6-yr)
52%
Will you get into Columbia College Chicago?
Enter your GPA, SAT & ACT and get your personal admission probability — free, no credit card.
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The middle 50% of admitted students (25th–75th percentile), self-reported by the school.
SAT (combined)
Not published
ACT (composite)
Not published
GPA
Not published
$ What You'll Actually Pay
Average yearly net price after grants & scholarships, by family income (federal cohort averages — not a personal quote).
$0–30k
$20,924
family income
$30–48k
$21,423
family income
$48–75k
$25,590
family income
$75–110k
$31,677
family income
$110k+
$36,436
family income
46% receive Pell grants
56% take federal loans
✦ Strongest Programs
The fields Columbia College Chicago graduates the most students in — a signal of depth, faculty, and alumni networks.
Visual & Performing Arts
69.8%
Communications Tech
9.4%
Communications
8.0%
Physical Sciences
4.0%
English
3.2%
↗ Outcomes
School-level averages across all students who enrolled (College Scorecard). Not a personal forecast.
Earnings (10 yr)
$42,195
Earnings (6 yr)
$32,596
Completion
52%
Retention
66%
Median debt
$25,000
? Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia College Chicago?
Columbia College Chicago has an acceptance rate of 89.5%, making it relatively accessible.
How much does Columbia College Chicago actually cost?
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for the lowest income band is $20,924 per year, rising to $36,436 for families earning $110k+. These are federal cohort averages, not a personal quote.
What are my chances of getting into Columbia College Chicago?
Your odds depend on how your GPA and test scores compare to admitted students, plus factors like major, residency, and early decision. UniversityOdds calculates a personalized probability for free — enter your stats to see yours.
See your real odds at Columbia College Chicago and ~50 top schools
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Get my free odds →Data sourced from IPEDS, the Common Data Set, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Acceptance probabilities calculated by UniversityOdds are estimates based on published academic data and are not a guarantee of admission. Net price figures are federal cohort averages, not personalized quotes — run the school's official net price calculator for your own estimate.