Columbus State University
Columbus, Georgia · Public · 99.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Columbus State University earns an overall ROI score of 24 (Below Benchmark). The public regional in Columbus, GA charges $5,898 in-state tuition ($17,610 out-of-state) with an average net price of $13,115. Four-year cost is $52,460, which makes the low ROI score noteworthy. The issue is not cost but outcomes: earnings are $31,100 six years out and $44,544 at 10 years, debt-to-earnings is 0.836, and payback runs 20.2 years on $26,000 median debt. Completion is 41.8% and repayment is weak at 51.3% three-year, dropping to 48.8% seven-year. The school admits nearly anyone (99.1% admit rate), and many entering students arrive academically underprepared based on the SAT mid-ranges (360-530 math, 440-530 reading). Strong programs exist - nursing and CS both earn B/C+ grades - but the institution-wide cohort outcomes are dragged down by weak completion and a heavy mix of low-earning majors. Like most open-access regionals, program selection drives nearly all of the financial outcome.
How Columbus State University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period20.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Columbus State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,898/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,610/yr |
| Average net price | $13,115/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $52,460 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,544 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,625 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $5,898/year ($17,610/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $13,115/year, or roughly $52,460 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $11,271/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,329/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,100) and comes to 0.84, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $11,271 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,873 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,786 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,542 |
| $110,001+ | $18,329 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $11,271 net per year - a workable number against any reasonable graduate outcome. Four-year cost is $45K. Pell-eligible students can leave with manageable debt if they complete; completion remains the dominant risk factor.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48K bracket pays $11,873 (very similar to low-income) and the 48-75K bracket pays $13,786. The 75-110K bracket jumps to $16,542. Four-year cost runs $47K-$66K. Workable for nursing or CS pathways. The aid structure tightens significantly above $48K.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110K pay $18,329 net; the out-of-state sticker is $17,610. Four-year cost runs $73K, but at this price the strong-program-selection argument matters more.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Columbus State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $89,659 | B |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $80,694 | C+ |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $45,997 | D |
| Biology | $47,819 | F |
| Business Administration and Management | $53,246 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $48,499 | D |
| Psychology | $41,266 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,912 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $49,956 | D |
| Teacher Education | $46,723 | D |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Columbus State's flagship financial program with 114 graduates per cycle and a B grade. Graduates earn $74,454 one year out and $89,659 at four years against $30,980 median debt. The 0.416 debt-to-earnings ratio is well within healthy bounds. This is the program where the institutional ROI score most understates actual outcomes for completers.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences earns a C+ with 61 graduates. First-year earnings of $56,660 climb to $80,694 at four years against $31,000 debt - a 0.547 ratio. Strong trajectory and a defensible track. Columbus area has limited tech employer concentration but Atlanta is accessible for relocation.
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Health Services/Allied Health earns a D with 61 graduates. First-year earnings of $30,382 against $28,508 median debt produces a 0.938 ratio. The four-year jump to $45,997 helps modestly. This is a general health-sciences track that often functions as a pre-nursing or pre-allied-health holding pattern; students should target specific clinical credentials rather than the general degree.
Biology
Biology pulls an F with 59 graduates. First-year earnings of $28,947 against $31,000 debt produces a 1.071 ratio. Four-year earnings climb to $47,819 but debt burden exceeds early-career wages. Bio is a classic graduate-school feeder major; students without a clear advanced-degree plan should pick differently.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration and Management earns a D with 55 graduates - a popular major. First-year earnings of $37,852 climb to $53,246 at four years against $31,000 debt. Debt-to-earnings of 0.819 makes this borderline.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 46.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 51.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 40.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 48.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Columbus State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 99.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 360-530 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 440-530 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-22 |
| Enrollment | 5,625 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,802 |
Columbus State admits 99.1% of applicants - effectively open access. SAT mid-ranges of 360-530 math and 440-530 reading and ACT 16-22 are notably low, reflecting the institution's mission to serve the regional population including many academically underprepared students. The 41.8% completion rate is the predictable result of broad access without strong remediation infrastructure. Well-prepared in-state students who can complete will get reasonable value; that is the central question.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus State University (this school) | 24 | $13,115 | $44,544 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 27 | $21,708 | $44,140 |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | 26 | $10,260 | $43,407 |
| Virginia State University | 21 | $15,840 | $45,543 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 20 | $6,842 | $34,996 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
Who Thrives Here
Columbus State fits in-state Georgia students seeking affordable tuition with a regional focus, especially around Fort Moore and the Chattahoochee Valley. Pell rate is 44.6% and enrollment is 5,625. The fit case is strongest for nursing (114 graduates, B grade), computer science (61 graduates, C+ grade), or finance. Students entering with undecided majors or drawn to liberal arts and education should be aware that those tracks pull D and F grades here.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Columbus State University scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $13,115 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,544 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20.2 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 41.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 51.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Columbus State University: Common Questions
Is Columbus State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Columbus State University scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $13,115 a year after aid against $44,544 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Columbus State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $13,115 a year, or roughly $52,460 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Columbus State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,544 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,744 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Columbus State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 20.2 years for Columbus State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Columbus State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $31,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Columbus State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.8%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.