Columbia State Community College
Columbia, Tennessee · Also known as Columbia State · Website
$40,256
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$40,256
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Columbia State Community College is a public 2-year college in Columbia, Tennessee with 3,897 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $4,734 a year (tuition and fees $5,296 in-state, $18,112 out-of-state). 30% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $40,256 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $8,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$4,734
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$5,296
Out-of-state $18,112
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
30%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$8,500
About $90 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$40,256
Rank 2,629 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $4,734
- Tuition in-state
- $5,296
- Tuition out-of-state
- $18,112
- Cost of attendance
- $13,179
- Students with a need-based grant
- 30%
- Students with federal loans
- 5.2%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $4,083
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,125
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $5,995
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $5,706
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $6,252
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,919 in 2015-16 to $5,296 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 3,897
- Part-time students
- 32%
- Women
- 63%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 30%
- Retention rate
- 55%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 23
- Endowment
- $15.5M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,629 of 5,094 US colleges and 52 of 120 in Tennessee (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | TN median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $4,734 | $15,261 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $5,296 | $15,120 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 70% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 30% | 60% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 55% | 74% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $8,500 | $15,784 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,400 | $34,684 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $40,256 | $38,610 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 44% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 61% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
23 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 541 | $7,601 | $26,438 | $40,271 | $44,125 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 98 | $5,375 | $51,093 | $54,816 | $57,584 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 84 | $11,500 | $65,077 | $78,499 | $80,813 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 38 | Withheld | $31,640 | $41,027 | $48,733 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | $56,354 | $54,246 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | $9,000 | $58,188 | $56,642 | $65,389 |
| Education, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,890 | $41,787 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,343 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | $30,761 | $37,930 | $41,460 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,709 |
| Medical Illustration and InformaticsAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,201 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $33,223 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | $48,168 | Withheld | $57,472 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,354 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,269 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,440 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,962 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsCertificate | Certificate | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MusicCertificate | Certificate | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $33,318 |
| MusicAssociate's | Associate's | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,056 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | - | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,180 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Columbia and Tennessee on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Tennessee
- Homes: Homes for sale in Tennessee
Questions and answers
How much does Columbia State Community College cost?
$4,734 a year is the average net price at Columbia State Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $5,296 for in-state students and $18,112 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,179. Families earning under $30,000 pay $4,083 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Columbia State Community College?
Columbia State Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Columbia State Community College graduates earn?
$40,256 a year is the median pay of former Columbia State Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,400 after 6 years). That ranks 2,629 of 5,094 US colleges and 52 of 120 in Tennessee. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $65,077.
How much student debt do Columbia State Community College graduates have?
$8,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Columbia State Community College graduates, about $90 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 5.2% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia State Community College?
30% of first-time, full-time students at Columbia State Community College finish within 3 years. 55% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Columbia State Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (541 associate's graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (98 certificate graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (84 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 23 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.