Columbus State University
Columbus, Georgia · Also known as CSU, Columbus State · Website
$44,544
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,544
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Columbus State University is a public 4-year college in Columbus, Georgia with 5,625 undergraduates and 1,790 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $13,115 a year (tuition and fees $5,898 in-state, $17,610 out-of-state). It admits 99% of applicants and 42% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $44,544 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $26,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$13,115
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$5,898
Out-of-state $17,610
Admission rate
99%
US median 78%
Completion rate
42%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$26,000
About $276 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$44,544
Rank 2,063 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
- $13,115
- Tuition in-state
- $5,898
- Tuition out-of-state
- $17,610
- Cost of attendance
- $21,676
- Students with a need-based grant
- 45%
- Students with federal loans
- 38%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,271
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,873
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,786
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,542
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,329
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 $6,011 in 2015-16 to $5,898 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
- 99%
- Average SAT
- 977
- SAT reading, middle
- 505
- SAT math, middle
- 495
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 5,625
- Graduate students
- 1,790
- Part-time students
- 28%
- Women
- 57%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 93
- Endowment
- $104.2M
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 2,063 of 5,094 US colleges and 45 of 140 in Georgia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | GA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $13,115 | $16,487 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $5,898 | $8,578 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 99% | 74% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 42% | 42% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 66% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $26,000 | $16,542 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $39,190 | $33,044 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,544 | $38,579 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 38% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
93 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 127 | $36,848 | $101,632 | $111,944 | $120,193 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 114 | $20,744 | $74,454 | $89,659 | $88,910 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 77 | Withheld | $71,153 | $65,062 | $57,702 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 68 | $34,166 | $55,810 | $62,834 | $59,916 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 61 | $29,750 | $56,660 | $80,694 | $92,374 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 61 | $26,970 | $30,382 | $45,997 | $61,296 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $27,275 | $28,947 | $47,819 | $57,214 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | $27,000 | $37,852 | $53,246 | $68,407 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 53 | $27,235 | $32,078 | $48,499 | $56,359 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 46 | $25,390 | $25,492 | $41,266 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's | Master's | 46 | Withheld | $82,799 | $94,267 | $66,714 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $27,000 | $29,310 | $49,912 | $54,562 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,709 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $28,740 | $39,714 | $49,956 | $55,378 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, OtherMaster's | Master's | 41 | Withheld | $80,800 | $91,069 | $96,656 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $28,544 | $41,780 | $46,723 | $47,382 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $27,732 | $37,561 | $49,673 | $68,257 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 29 | Withheld | $87,845 | $119,397 | $124,201 |
| Special Education and TeachingMaster's | Master's | 28 | $30,871 | $56,177 | $63,482 | $64,397 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | $28,000 | $23,987 | $42,316 | $48,590 |
| Education, OtherDoctoral | Doctoral | 27 | Withheld | $105,126 | $107,801 | $90,635 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $28,500 | $34,899 | $44,506 | $52,657 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $25,000 | $18,769 | $34,931 | $39,775 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $28,500 | $34,223 | $52,588 | $69,303 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Columbus and Georgia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Georgia
- Homes: Homes for sale in Georgia
Questions and answers
How much does Columbus State University cost?
$13,115 a year is the average net price at Columbus State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $5,898 for in-state students and $17,610 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,676. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,271 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Columbus State University?
99% of applicants are admitted to Columbus State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 977 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in Georgia is 74%.
How much do Columbus State University graduates earn?
$44,544 a year is the median pay of former Columbus State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($39,190 after 6 years). That ranks 2,063 of 5,094 US colleges and 45 of 140 in Georgia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Education, Other (Doctoral) at $105,126.
How much student debt do Columbus State University graduates have?
$26,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Columbus State University graduates, about $276 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 38% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Columbus State University?
42% of first-time, full-time students at Columbus State University finish within 6 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Columbus State University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (127 master's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (114 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (77 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 93 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.