Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL · Private for-profit · Graduate degree-granting

Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit institution, accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. With 12,176 students, it is a mid-size institution. Graduates earn a median of $63,534 ten years after enrollment, which is 56% above the national median of $40,747. On the academic side, the graduation rate is 35.3%. For cost considerations, median graduate debt is $21,339, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 2.98x. The average net price after financial aid is $14,580 per year. The most popular programs include Business Administration & Management, Fire Protection, Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Criminal Justice & Corrections, and Public Administration.

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Key Outcomes

Median Earnings (10yr)
$63,534
Graduation Rate
35.3%
Median Debt
$21,339
Average Net Price
$14,580
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
1.09x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
2.98x

Admissions & Enrollment

Total Enrollment
12,176
Admission Rate
Not reported
Average SAT
Not reported
Retention Rate
71.0%

Cost

In-State Tuition
$6,760
Out-of-State Tuition
$6,760
Pell Grant Rate
24.2%
Federal Loan Rate
25.8%

Net Cost by Family Income

Income $0–$30K
$12,913
Income $30K–$48K
$13,455
Income $48K–$75K
$15,569
Income $110K+
$17,408

Student Demographics

Women
52.0%
White
60.8%
Black
18.9%
Hispanic
1.3%
Asian
1.5%
Two or More Races
2.9%

Student Loan Performance

Repayment Rate (3yr)
43.4%

Accreditations

Programs (49)

Bachelor (12)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Business Administration & Management $69,343 594
Fire Protection $88,735 585
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians $94,480 521
Criminal Justice & Corrections $70,354 256
Health Services Administration $61,821 128
Human Resources Management $62,061 96
Mental Health Services $49,618 93
Computer & Information Systems Security $77,738 75
Natural Resources Conservation $81,292 61
Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment $95,774 60
Homeland Security $73,703 57
Computer & Information Sciences $63,248 53

Master (7)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Business Administration & Management $79,103 953
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians $99,847 378
Public Administration $74,452 149
Homeland Security $93,851 131
Public Health $66,208 64
Criminal Justice & Corrections $64,135 57
Fire Protection Not reported 4

Doctoral (1)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Business Administration & Management Not reported 41

Associate (8)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Fire Protection $88,114 432
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians $87,340 307
Business Administration & Management $61,433 192
Liberal Arts & Sciences $62,009 99
Criminal Justice & Corrections $66,000 98
Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment Not reported 90
Health Services Administration $40,382 33
Computer & Information Sciences Not reported 5

Graduate Certificate (7)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians Not reported 15
Public Administration Not reported 10
Human Resources Management Not reported 6
Natural Resources Conservation Not reported 4
Fire Protection Not reported 4
Health Services Administration Not reported 3
Business Administration & Management Not reported 3

Undergraduate Certificate (9)

Program Median Earnings Completers
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians $84,636 29
Fire Protection Not reported 22
Natural Resources Conservation $78,159 15
Business Administration & Management $89,203 12
Computer & Information Sciences Not reported 10
Computer & Information Systems Security Not reported 10
Human Resources Management Not reported 8
Homeland Security Not reported 4
Mental Health Services Not reported 3
Show 5 additional programs with limited data
Program Level Completers
Homeland Security Associate 2
Finance Undergraduate Certificate 2
Marketing Undergraduate Certificate 2
Finance Graduate Certificate 1
Marketing Graduate Certificate 1

Rankings Featuring This Institution