Murray State vs Columbus State

Murray State University and Columbus State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Murray State, nestled in the heart of Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Columbus State, located in the vibrant city of Columbus, Georgia, maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While Murray State excels in fields like Agriculture and Health Professions, Columbus State shines in Business and Education. Both universities prioritize student success, reflected in their strong graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Columbus State University	Murray State University
Overview
Location	Columbus, Georgia	Murray, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	61.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.5%	85.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40
SAT range	870 - 1130	960 - 1200
ACT range	18 - 24	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	5,275	9,144
Total number of admissions given out	4,142	7,787
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,205	1,395
Yield rate	29.1%	17.9%
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	In state: $23,563 Out of state: $34,617	In state: $26,219 Out of state: $35,495
Average net price	$13,571	$11,237
Tuition	In state: $4,371 Out of state: $15,425	In state: $8,040 Out of state: $17,316
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,228 Meal plan: $4,400	Room/dormitory: $5,538 Meal plan: $4,330
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $7,234	99.0% Average amount $11,753
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $4,926	47.0% Average amount $6,997
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $7,458	7.0% Average amount $10,075

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,403 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	7,651 Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
Graduate students	1,495 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%	1,763 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.6%	N/A
International students	1.7%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,467	3,064
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Alabama Florida Texas Ohio	Illinois Tennessee Indiana Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Education Business Agriculture Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.7%	55.9%
Dropout rate	20.9%	42.8%
Transferred out	32.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,649 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,343 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $67,553 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,327 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $66,828 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,668 Year 2: $54,852 Year 3: $65,564 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,920 Year 2: $56,169 Year 3: $61,330 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $63,251 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,599 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,949 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $58,076 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,075 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,483 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,572 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,256 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $50,084	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $162,817 Year 3: $178,780 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,792 Year 2: $79,473 Year 3: $88,757 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,448 Year 2: $66,969 Year 3: $69,761 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,888 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $66,008 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,643 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $65,410 Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,121 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $59,977 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,148 Year 2: $58,142 Year 3: $55,771 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,974 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $54,238 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,117 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $52,217 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,964 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $50,840

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