Charleston Southern vs Columbia International

Charleston Southern University and Columbia International University, both located in South Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, a private Christian university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Columbia International's selective admissions (50%). While Charleston Southern's student body is predominantly White (68%), Columbia International reflects a more diverse population, with a significant proportion of international students (25%). In terms of academics, Charleston Southern offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like Business, Education, and Nursing, while Columbia International specializes in Bible and Ministry-related fields. With a higher graduation rate (62%) and a lower average net price ($16,833), Charleston Southern may be a more accessible option for students seeking a comprehensive education at a moderate cost. For a deeper dive into the comparison of these two institutions, explore the detailed table provided on this page to find the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Charleston Southern University	Columbia International University
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	Columbia, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	64.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.2%	45.6%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	990 - 1200	940 - 1135
ACT range	18 - 23	17 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	50.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	3,940	526
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	240
Admitted students who chose to enroll	690	176
Yield rate	30.6%	73.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,500	$38,700
Average net price	$18,182	$20,088
Tuition	$28,630	$24,490
Room & board	$11,032	$8,950
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,425	96.0% Average amount $17,706
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,238	66.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,921	7.0% Average amount $9,004

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%	905 Men 46.2% Women 53.8%
Graduate students	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%	1,433 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	23.5%	47.6%
International students	2.3%	14.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,424	400
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Georgia Florida Pennsylvania	South Carolina Florida North Carolina Georgia Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Theology Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.3%	62.1%
Dropout rate	49.7%	16.8%
Transferred out	N/A	19.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $80,916 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,709 Year 2: $59,425 Year 3: $64,433 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,982 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $57,626 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,309 Year 2: $46,589 Year 3: $54,442 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,112 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $53,093 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,775 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $48,261 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $47,106 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,190 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $38,459 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,781 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $34,518 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,345 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $31,620	Theology and Religious Vocations, Other (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $43,723 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $33,137 Bible/Biblical Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,420 Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $25,579 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $23,982 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $23,347 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: N/A Theological and Ministerial Studies (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: N/A Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,351 Year 3: N/A

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Charleston Southern vs Columbia International

Charleston Southern University

Columbia International University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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