Columbia International vs University of Maryland-College Park (UMD)

Columbia International University and University of Maryland-College Park, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Columbia International University, a private Christian university, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on faith-based education, while University of Maryland-College Park, a large public research university, provides a diverse and vibrant campus environment. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, these universities cater to different academic aspirations and personal preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and personal values, ensuring you make an informed decision that sets you on the path to success.

	Columbia International University	University of Maryland-College Park
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	College Park, Maryland
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	64.0%	95.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	45.6%	52.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	940 - 1135	1330 - 1510
ACT range	17 - 24	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%	34.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	526	50,183
Total number of admissions given out	240	26,109
Admitted students who chose to enroll	176	6,072
Yield rate	73.3%	23.3%
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	$38,700	In state: $30,997 Out of state: $58,678
Average net price	$20,088	$17,146
Tuition	$24,490	In state: $9,000 Out of state: $36,681
Room & board	$8,950	Room/dormitory: $8,072 Meal plan: $5,578
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $17,706	56.0% Average amount $10,645
Students receiving federal student loan	66.0% Average amount $5,128	20.0% Average amount $5,065
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $9,004	4.0% Average amount $22,924

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	905 Men 46.2% Women 53.8%	30,922 Men 50.8% Women 49.2%
Graduate students	1,433 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	10,350 Men 50.7% Women 49.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	47.6%	29.5%
International students	14.2%	10.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	400	11,846
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina Florida North Carolina Georgia Texas	Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Theology Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts	Engineering Business Education Computer and Information Science Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.1%	87.7%
Dropout rate	16.8%	4.0%
Transferred out	19.0%	7.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,765 Year 2: $106,102 Year 3: $116,295 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $125,155 Year 2: $112,923 Year 3: $112,074 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,533 Year 2: $94,112 Year 3: $102,555 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,018 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,716 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,727 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $99,501 Physics (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $72,899 Year 3: $92,830 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $88,418 Year 2: $80,466 Year 3: $92,230 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,675 Year 2: $72,762 Year 3: $83,667 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,798 Year 2: $71,761 Year 3: $82,867 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,391 Year 2: $66,485 Year 3: $82,784

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