Columbia College Chicago
Among the weakest of its kind. Look at alternatives before enrolling. It ranks 1,453 of 1,755 four-year colleges on student outcomes, with an overall score of 28.8 out of 100.
These three answers are rules of thumb from the numbers below, not advice for any one student or major.
What do students really think?
You have seen the federal numbers for Columbia College Chicago. Now hear from people who went there, or add your own experience. Anonymous, no account.
Would you choose it again? That is the first question the rating form asks.
Why it is good
Nothing stands out as clearly better than similar colleges.
Why it is bad
- Many students leave early: only 66% of first-year students return for a second year.
- Low pay: typical earnings ten years after starting are $48,427, lower than 77% of four-year colleges.
- Debt is heavy for the pay: graduates owe a typical $25,000 in federal loans against earnings of $48,427.
- Expensive: the average student pays about $36,529 a year after grants, more than at 93% of four-year colleges.
The numbers
What these figures measure
Graduation rate: share of all students, full-time or part-time, who finish within 8 years. Return for year 2: share of first-time, full-time students who come back for a second year. Earnings: median pay about 10 years after starting, for students who received federal aid. Debt: median federal loan debt among those who finish. Net price: average yearly cost after grants and scholarships. All from the U.S. Education Department College Scorecard, institution file dated November 2, 2026.
Programs and early earnings
Bachelor's degrees: largest programs
| Field | Graduates a year | Earnings, 2 yrs after | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | 258 | $29,737 | $25,000 |
| Graphic Communications | 212 | $33,993 | $26,025 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 162 | $23,649 | $24,525 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 140 | $20,995 | $26,000 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 90 | $27,507 | $20,000 |
| Music | 53 | $19,944 | $24,562 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 52 | $28,849 | $26,000 |
| Marketing | 47 | $40,355 | $23,587 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 46 | $22,485 | $26,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 42 | $27,222 | $25,000 |
| Physics | 30 | n/a | $24,250 |
| Journalism | 27 | $30,635 | $25,562 |
Earnings are the median pay two years after completing, for graduates who were working and not enrolled again. The federal government hides figures for small programs, shown as n/a. Fields are broad groups, so a college may offer several majors inside one.
Students and reviews
Numbers cannot tell you about teaching, dorms or campus life. Read and write anonymous student reviews for Columbia College Chicago, or ask and answer questions about it. Other sources:
Compare with other colleges Estimate your cost
The grade reflects outcomes for the average student compared with other four-year colleges. Individual majors can be much better or worse.