About Columbia

Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 7,500 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens.

Tuition and Value

• Columbia’s tuition–$25,580 for '17-'18–is among the lowest of all private arts and media colleges in the nation.
• Columbia has more than 96,000 alumni, making our network among the largest of any arts and media college in the world.

Financial Aid

We offer generous financial aid programs to help you pay for your education at Columbia College Chicago. The proof is in the numbers:

• $40.4 million in scholarships awarded during the 2016-17 academic year.
• 90 percent of freshmen and 85 percent of transfer students received financial aid in 2016-17.
• $14,152: The average financial aid package for a Fall 2016 freshman.
• $12,108: The average financial aid package for a Fall 2016 transfer student.

Percentages for full-time, domestic students. Packages include Columbia scholarships, federal grants, state grants, need-based employment programs, and Stafford loans.

Academics

• More than 100 exciting academic majors and programs.
• We believe a solid foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is essential to any creative career. That’s why every undergraduate must complete the requirements of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core.
• Emphasis on the body of work: Students can develop professional-grade portfolios over their course of study.
• Average class size: fewer than 18
• Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission

Students

• 7,027 undergraduate and 285 graduate students come from nearly every state and more than 60 countries. (Fall '17)
• One-third of our student body is African American, Latino, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial.
• Approximately 20 percent of Columbia students are first-generation college attendees.

Student Life

• Columbia students are creatively charged, seeing and understanding the world through a creative lens. They're driven to pursue their passions and are willing to put in the hard work to get there.
• The city is our campus and a major part of student life at Columbia. Chicago is our laboratory and our playground, and our students explore and sink their teeth into the vast cultural and professional opportunities that abound in this world-class city.
• Nearly 2,500 students live in our residence centers, all located just steps from our main campus.
• More than 85 student organizations–from the Student Dance Organization to Japanese Anime and Manga–express the diversity, interests, and energy of our students.
• We do it, watch it, support it, applaud it: We are one of the largest presenters of cultural events in the city, with hundreds of events crowding our calendar each year–including student performances and gallery showings, faculty and guest lectures, readings, and performances.