Columbia College vs NorthWestern

Columbia College and Northwestern University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Columbia College, nestled in the heart of New York City, boasts a lower acceptance rate, a more diverse student body, and a higher graduation rate. Northwestern University, situated in the vibrant city of Evanston, Illinois, offers a wider range of undergraduate majors, a larger student body, and a strong emphasis on research. To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting the key differences between these two prestigious universities. Explore the table to discover which institution aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Columbia College	Northwestern University
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	Evanston, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	54.0%	99.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	98.6%	7.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1470 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants	1,278	47,636
Total number of admissions given out	1,260	3,321
Admitted students who chose to enroll	210	2,086
Yield rate	16.7%	62.8%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,142	$83,838
Average net price	$20,520	$29,999
Tuition	$20,080	$60,276
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,120 Meal plan: $4,200	Room/dormitory: $11,271 Meal plan: $6,993
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,663	57.0% Average amount $51,087
Students receiving federal student loan	77.0% Average amount $6,081	23.0% Average amount $4,625
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $10,833	2.0% Average amount $38,595

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,065 Men 15.2% Women 84.8%	8,847 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students	324 Men 12.7% Women 87.3%	14,562 Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	15.0%	N/A
International students	0.6%	17.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	618	4,409
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina Georgia Florida North Carolina Alabama	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Health Professions Liberal Arts	Business Communication and Journalism Engineering Health Professions Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.4%	95.2%
Dropout rate	16.3%	4.2%
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	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $150,242 Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $221,242 Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $216,176 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $187,194 Year 2: $170,971 Year 3: $206,288 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $120,709 Year 2: $189,565 Year 3: $194,961 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,478 Year 2: $163,561 Year 3: $177,652 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,200 Year 2: $157,779 Year 3: $159,304 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $140,321 Year 2: $141,586 Year 3: $154,556 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,288 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $132,325 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,780 Year 2: $111,323 Year 3: $130,124 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $115,760 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $128,046

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Columbia College vs NorthWestern

Columbia College

Northwestern University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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