Founded in 1890, Columbia College Chicago is the largest arts and communications college in the U.S. It is located in the South Loop of Chicago. The College enrolls more than 10,000 students each term and offers more than 120 academic programs in different fields of study. It is home to three schools that house several academic departments.
The College runs an award winning weekly newspaper, Columbia Chronicle and a television station known as Frequency TV. It also owns a radio station called WCRX (88.1 FM). The sports teams of Columbia College Chicago are known as The Renegades.
Some of the famous graduates of the College are Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist; David Cromer, award-winning director of Adding Machine (musical), and Jake Lloyd, American actor, to name a few.

The school has a tighter focus on specific areas of study than most colleges its size. The most common majors at Columbia College are in design, media, art studies, drama and performing arts, photography and commercial art, and fine arts.
The school is welcoming, and offers open admission to students who meet its minimum qualifications. People attending Columbia College come from a variety of states around the country.
A tenure system is one way the school works to keep a high-quality staff. Instructors at Columbia College are well-paid.
In 2007, 12,021 students were enrolled in the school.
More complete details are provided below.
Columbia College Chicago
600 South Michigan
Chicago, IL 60605-1996
General Phone: (312) 663-1600
http://www.colum.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Photography And Commercial Art | 519 | cinematography, photography, commercial art, multimedia |
| Media | 390 | journalism, radio and television, recording arts tech |
| Art Studies | 247 | arts management |
| Liberal Arts | 175 | creative writing, interdisciplinary studies, liberal arts and sciences, area and Cultural studies, sign language translation |
| Business And Management | 174 | marketing |
| Design | 150 | graphic design, fashion design, interior design, illustration, industrial design |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 99 | acting, dance, drama, theatre design, directing |
| Education And Teaching | 47 | teacher education, early childhood education, teacher education and development |
| Fine Arts | 45 | fine arts studies, fine arts |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 16 | web design |
| Music | 16 | music |
| Therapy And Counseling | 15 | dance therapy |
| Architecture And Planning | 0 | architecture, interior architecture |
Number of programs and degrees for Columbia College in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 1,695 | 29 |
| Master's degree | 192 | 13 |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | 6 | 5 |
In 2007, Columbia College had a total enrollment of 12,021 students (11,082 full-time equivalent).
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 94% |
| Graduate | 6% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 63% |
| Black | 15% |
| Hispanic | 9% |
| Asian | 3% |
| American Indian | 1% |
| Unknown | 8% |
| (Foreign Students) | 1% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1% |
| 18-19 | 30% |
| 20-21 | 31% |
| 22-24 | 22% |
| 25-29 | 11% |
| 30-34 | 3% |
| 35-39 | 1% |
| 40-49 | 1% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 65 % |
| Part-Time | 39 % |
Columbia College offers campus housing for 2,579 of its 11,082 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Chicago, Illinois for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Illinois Colleges).
The school does not offer students a meal plan.
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 17,584 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 17,584 |
| Room and board | $ 12,018 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,346 |
| Other expenses | $ 5,010 |
Financial Aid:
Columbia College participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 166500)
Columbia College has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 103 | 80 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 45 | 45 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 27 | 23 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 148 | $71,923 | 125 | $68,301 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 27 | $46,816 | 23 | $45,756 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 175 | $68,050 | 148 | $64,798 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
Interior Architecture
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
DESIGN
Fashion/Apparel Design
Graphic Design
Illustration
Industrial Design
Interior Design
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Acting
Dance, General
Directing and Theatrical Production
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Teacher Education/Profess Development, Levels & Methods, Other
Teacher Education/Profess Development, Subject Areas, Other
FINE ARTS
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
Fine/Studio Arts, General
LIBERAL ARTS
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies, Other
Creative Writing
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Sign Language Interpretation and Translation
MEDIA
Journalism
Radio and Television
Recording Arts Technology/Technician
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Commercial and Advertising Art
Intermedia/Multimedia
Photography
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Columbia College Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| % of degrees in art studies (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in media (vs. all colleges) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in photography and commercial art (vs. all colleges) | Top 5% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in drama and performing arts (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (for open-admission colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in design (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| Male % of student body (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| % of full-time faculty on tenure track (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 20% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in fine arts (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 20% | ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 20% | ![]() |
Notable:
Open admission
Accepts some high school credits
Offers credit for life experience
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
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(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Columbia College with government-defined occupation categories)
Selected QuickSchools™ With Program Focus Areas Similar To Columbia College(What are QuickSchools?)
Art Studies
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