Columbia College vs Harvard

Columbia College and Harvard University, two of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world, offer students a wealth of opportunities and an exceptional education. However, there are some key differences between the two schools that prospective students should consider when making their college decision. From acceptance rates and popular majors to student body demographics and graduation rates, this side-by-side comparison will help you understand the unique strengths and characteristics of each institution. Dive into the comparison table to discover which school better aligns with your academic goals, personal preferences, and future aspirations.

	Columbia College	Harvard University
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	54.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	98.6%	4.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $105
SAT range	N/A	1480 - 1580
ACT range	N/A	33 - 36
Students submitting SAT score		54.0%
Students submitting ACT score		31.0%
Total number of applicants	1,278	57,786
Total number of admissions given out	1,260	2,318
Admitted students who chose to enroll	210	1,951
Yield rate	16.7%	84.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,142	$78,028
Average net price	$20,520	$13,910
Tuition	$20,080	$51,143
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,120 Meal plan: $4,200	Room/dormitory: $11,705 Meal plan: $7,236
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,663	56.0% Average amount $59,840
Students receiving federal student loan	77.0% Average amount $6,081	3.0% Average amount $5,180
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $10,833	2.0% Average amount $8,080

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,065 Men 15.2% Women 84.8%	9,579 Men 49.0% Women 51.0%
Graduate students	324 Men 12.7% Women 87.3%	21,766 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	15.0%	N/A
International students	0.6%	23.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	618	12,874
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina Georgia Florida North Carolina Alabama	New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Health Professions Liberal Arts	Business Health Professions Social Sciences Education Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.4%	96.7%
Dropout rate	16.3%	2.0%
Transferred out	29.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,609 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,941 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $48,181 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $42,584 Education, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,920 Year 2: $40,792 Year 3: $41,966 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,802 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,157 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,014 Year 2: $30,926 Year 3: $35,159 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $33,769 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,329 Year 2: $30,305 Year 3: $32,187 Behavioral Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,896 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,946 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: $27,013	Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,193 Year 2: $128,716 Year 3: $240,408 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $184,307 Year 2: $165,340 Year 3: $199,043 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $171,333 Year 2: $171,907 Year 3: $187,553 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $140,072 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: $163,896 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $151,371 Year 2: $174,023 Year 3: $163,512 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,508 Year 2: $117,916 Year 3: $129,281 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,832 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,707 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $121,771 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,905 Year 2: $98,670 Year 3: $107,389 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,745 Year 2: $71,486 Year 3: $106,375

Compare Similar Colleges

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Columbia College vs Harvard

Columbia College

Harvard University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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