Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 89.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Poor Value
Columbia College Chicago earns a CampusROI score of 18 out of 100 and lands in the Poor Value tier. The score reflects what happens when a high-cost private school concentrates almost entirely in low-earnings creative fields. Sticker tuition is $34,088, average net price after aid is $26,598, and four-year cost lands at $106,392. The earnings premium is just 6.8% over high-school-only peers, the payback period is 34.2 years, and the 0.85 debt-to-earnings ratio against $25,000 in median federal debt produces a sub-score of 11. Median earnings six years after entry are $29,500 and reach $42,195 by year ten. The 51.6% completion rate is decent for a creative-arts school. The 57.3% repayment rate is well below average and signals that more than 40% of borrowers are not actively reducing principal. Columbia's signature programs (Film, Theater, Music, Fine Arts, Audiovisual) all post F-grade ROI outcomes by major, with debt-to-earnings ratios ranging from 1.05 to 1.51. The school's value proposition is genuine for students with elite-tier industry placement potential, but the median graduate's labor-market data does not support borrowing at $25,000-plus.
The data raises concerns about Columbia College Chicago
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score18/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period34.2 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Columbia College Chicago
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,088/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,088/yr |
| Average net price | $26,598/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,392 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,195 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 34.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,368 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Columbia College Chicago is $34,088/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $26,598/year, or roughly $106,392 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $20,924/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $36,436/year.
The median graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $265 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $42,195 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.85 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $20,924 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,423 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,590 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,677 |
| $110,001+ | $36,436 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $20,924 per year, totaling roughly $83,700 across four years. With ten-year median earnings of $42,195, this price requires a creative graduate to break above median outcomes to make the math work. Low-income borrowers face the steepest risk-reward tradeoff and should weigh community-college and SUNY/CUNY-system creative alternatives.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $25,590 per year and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $31,677. Four-year totals are $102,400 to $126,700. Middle-income families paying these prices for credentials with median F-grade outcomes by major should think carefully; the math only works for students with strong portfolios and realistic industry-placement plans.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $36,436 per year, above sticker tuition (which suggests fees and required living costs are pushing the figure), with four-year cost approaching $145,700. At this price tier, only families with strong cash flow who view this as a creative-development investment for a self-directed student should proceed. The cost-vs-earnings math by major does not pencil out otherwise.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Columbia College Chicago with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $48,601 | D |
| Graphic Communications | $43,970 | D |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,200 | F |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,986 | F |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $50,592 | F |
| Music | $40,734 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $42,176 | F |
| Marketing | $65,686 | D |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $39,751 | F |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $54,357 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts is the largest program at 258 graduates per cohort. Year-one earnings of $29,630 climb to $48,601 by year four. With $27,000 in median debt, the 0.91 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. This is the strongest high-volume creative track at the school; graduates who land in-house design roles at Chicago agencies, brand teams, or product companies see meaningful four-year salary growth. The four-year number is the more honest baseline for graduates.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications graduates 212 students per cohort. Year-one earnings of $26,309 rise to $43,970 by year four. With $25,000 in debt, the 0.95 ratio earns a D ROI grade. Outcomes track entry-level creative-production work in Chicago's print and digital production market. Earnings growth is real but constrained by the broader sector.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video graduates 162 students per cohort, the school's highest-profile program. Year-one earnings of $23,905 climb to $41,200 by year four. Median debt of $26,000 produces a 1.09 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. The federal earnings methodology systematically undercounts film-graduate income because much of it is project-based 1099 work, but even adjusting for that, this is a tough financial track for borrowing students.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Theater graduates 140 students per cohort with year-one earnings of just $17,929 rising to $39,986 by year four. Median debt of $26,977 produces a 1.51 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade, the worst on the page. Theater is structurally a low-earnings field for most graduates, and the F outcome here reflects national patterns rather than school-specific weakness. Students should not borrow at these levels for theater without a clear post-graduation plan.
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
Arts/Entertainment Management graduates 90 students with year-one earnings of $23,844 climbing to $50,592 by year four. With $26,000 in debt, the 1.09 ratio earns an F grade on year-one, though the four-year trajectory is more optimistic. Graduates moving into label, agency, or production-company management roles see real growth, but the path requires patience and Chicago industry connections.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 51.2% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 57.3% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 51.9% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 55.4% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 89.5% |
| Enrollment | 5,368 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 46.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,323 |
Columbia Chicago admits 89.5% of applicants, an open-admit posture for a creative-arts school. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with portfolio- and audition-driven admissions where standardized tests are de-emphasized. The 51.6% completion rate is moderate; creative-arts students often pivot, transfer, or pause for industry work, which the federal completion methodology counts as non-completion.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Peer schools include School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Augustana College, Unity Environmental University, Columbia College MO, and Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey. SAIC is the closest creative-arts peer in Chicago and posts somewhat better outcomes due to stronger industry connections and a more selective admit, though it is also dramatically more expensive. Augustana College is a traditional liberal-arts school not really comparable. Columbia College MO is a different institution despite the shared name; it is a working-adult-focused regional with very different outcomes. Unity Environmental and UAGM Cupey are even more structurally different.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia College Chicago (this school) | 18 | $26,598 | $42,195 |
| Augustana College | 67 | $22,736 | $62,971 |
| Columbia College | 25 | $22,715 | $45,378 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 21 | $49,790 | $40,151 |
| Unity Environmental University | 14 | $19,104 | $37,852 |
| Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus | 10 | $7,646 | $24,490 |
Who Thrives Here
Columbia Chicago serves about 5,368 students with a 45.96% Pell rate. The fit case is for students with serious creative ambitions in film, audio, design, theater, or music who specifically want immersion in Chicago's creative industries and who can either fund the school largely without borrowing or who have realistic confidence in their ability to break into elite-tier industry roles. The school produces meaningful talent every year, but the median graduate's data should be the planning baseline for borrowing students, not the exceptional alumni story.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Columbia College Chicago. With a net cost of $26,598 per year and median graduate earnings of only $42,195 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 34.2 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 51.5% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 against $42,195 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.