Columbia College vs DeVry-Illinois

Columbia College Chicago and DeVry University-Illinois, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand side by side in the vibrant city of Chicago. Columbia College Chicago, known for its artistic and creative programs, boasts an acceptance rate of 85%, welcoming a diverse student body with a strong focus on the arts, design, and media. In contrast, DeVry University-Illinois, renowned for its career-oriented programs, has an acceptance rate of 100%, catering to students seeking practical skills in business, technology, and healthcare. While both institutions offer undergraduate and graduate degrees, their popular majors diverge, with Columbia College Chicago excelling in visual and performing arts, and DeVry University-Illinois specializing in business, engineering, and computer science. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, including graduation rates, student demographics, and more, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and career goals.
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

DeVry University-Illinois logo

DeVry University-Illinois

Overview

Location Chicago, Illinois Naperville, Illinois
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 62.0% 62.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 95.6% 45.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 7,218 5,661
Total number of admissions given out 6,903 2,577
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,696 1,971
Yield rate 24.6% 76.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,698 $38,444
Average net price $25,262 $29,115
Tuition $26,610 $16,448
Room & board $16,456
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $20,992
98.0%
Average amount $6,866
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $6,068
85.0%
Average amount $7,897
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $19,315
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,493
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
19,866
Men 34.4% Women 65.6%
Graduate students 243
Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
3,128
Men 38.2% Women 61.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 46.1% 93.6%
International students 4.0% 0.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 2,158 N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? No N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Ohio Texas Illinois Pennsylvania New York Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Communication and Journalism
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 39:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.9% 41.9%
Dropout rate 48.5% 37.4%
Transferred out N/A 20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,418
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $48,304
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,500
  • Year 2: $36,124
  • Year 3: $46,919
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,614
  • Year 2: $41,789
  • Year 3: $41,739
Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,521
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $41,719
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,175
  • Year 2: $40,355
  • Year 3: $41,194
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,857
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $40,498
American Sign Language (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,692
  • Year 2: $35,330
  • Year 3: $38,260
Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,841
  • Year 2: $30,635
  • Year 3: $37,241
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,669
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $37,111
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,065
  • Year 2: $29,737
  • Year 3: $36,271
Management Information Systems and Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $78,577
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,756
  • Year 2: $66,885
  • Year 3: $73,133
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,726
  • Year 2: $66,592
  • Year 3: $72,885
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,951
  • Year 2: $61,702
  • Year 3: $67,529
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,144
  • Year 2: $64,686
  • Year 3: $66,091
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,308
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $66,013
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $67,937
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $63,661
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,602
  • Year 2: $54,192
  • Year 3: $63,401
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,102
  • Year 2: $58,714
  • Year 3: $62,826
Accounting and Related Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $58,051
  • Year 2: $54,696
  • Year 3: $61,220