Loyola Chicago vs Columbia College

Loyola University Chicago and Columbia College Chicago, two distinct institutions located in the vibrant city of Chicago, offer prospective students a diverse range of academic programs and unique campus experiences. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in several key aspects. Loyola, a Jesuit Catholic university, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, with a focus on liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Columbia, known for its emphasis on the arts, media, and communication, has a more selective admissions process and a smaller student population. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Loyola University Chicago logo

Loyola University Chicago

Overview

Location Chicago, Illinois Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
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 62.0% 88.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 95.6% 77.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
SAT range N/A 1160 - 1360
ACT range N/A 27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 23.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0%
Total number of applicants 7,218 37,824
Total number of admissions given out 6,903 29,117
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,696 2,867
Yield rate 24.6% 9.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,698 $63,074
Average net price $25,262 $29,371
Tuition $26,610 $46,410
Room & board $16,456
Room/dormitory: $9,400

Meal plan: $5,780
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 $25,854
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $6,068
44.0%
Average amount $5,419
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $19,315
8.0%
Average amount $17,984

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,493
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
11,819
Men 31.8% Women 68.2%
Graduate students 243
Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
5,679
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 46.1% 50.0%
International students 4.0% 3.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,158 3,902
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Ohio Illinois Michigan Minnesota California Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Communication and Journalism
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.9% 72.0%
Dropout rate 48.5% 27.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
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
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,817
  • Year 2: $220,906
  • Year 3: $179,958
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,218
  • Year 2: $97,604
  • Year 3: $105,174
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,836
  • Year 2: $87,470
  • Year 3: $104,925
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,863
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $88,922
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,345
  • Year 2: $65,424
  • Year 3: $85,807
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,864
  • Year 2: $66,821
  • Year 3: $82,913
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,124
  • Year 2: $61,380
  • Year 3: $75,618
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,063
  • Year 2: $66,029
  • Year 3: $74,558
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,529
  • Year 2: $56,544
  • Year 3: $70,042
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,111
  • Year 2: $66,195
  • Year 3: $69,151

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.