Columbia Southern University vs Excelsior

Columbia Southern University and Excelsior College, both accredited online universities, offer flexible and accessible higher education opportunities to students across the country. However, there are some key differences between the two institutions that prospective students should consider when making their decision. Columbia Southern University boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students with diverse academic backgrounds. Excelsior College, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While Columbia Southern University offers a wider range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Excelsior College excels in providing specialized programs in nursing, healthcare, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two online universities and make an informed choice that aligns with your academic goals and preferences.

	Columbia Southern University	Excelsior College
Overview
Location	Orange Beach, Alabama	Albany, New York
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Non Traditional	Non Traditional
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	40.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$19,177
Average net price	$12,474
Tuition	$5,640
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $3,123
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $5,701
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,672 Men 65.2% Women 34.8%	15,260 Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
Graduate students	4,740 Men 53.9% Women 46.1%	1,906 Men 55.2% Women 44.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.0%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Engineering Technologies Health Professions Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Liberal Arts Business Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	31:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.4%	N/A
Dropout rate	57.6%	N/A
Transferred out	2.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,983 Year 2: $68,880 Year 3: $78,451 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,300 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $75,520 Homeland Security (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,707 Year 2: $71,473 Year 3: $73,060 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,385 Year 2: $67,304 Year 3: $72,485 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,128 Year 2: $69,691 Year 3: $71,770 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $71,839 Year 2: $69,785 Year 3: $67,888 Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $66,269 Year 2: $61,922 Year 3: $65,587 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,097 Year 2: $58,092 Year 3: $62,377 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,105 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $59,697 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,526 Year 2: $58,990 Year 3: $59,493	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,153 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $107,804 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,537 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $102,156 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,370 Year 2: $83,768 Year 3: $89,231 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $77,505 Year 2: $74,747 Year 3: $77,427 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $63,613 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $61,889 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,382 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $61,881 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,784 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $53,546 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,508 Year 2: $49,660 Year 3: $51,791 Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,863 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $49,707 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $46,725 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $49,225

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