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Columbia College Chicago

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Private, not-for-profit, 4-year or above

School Size & Setting

Large | Urban

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

8:1

Religious affliation

Not applicable

General Information

Address

Columbia College Chicago

600 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60605

See on Map
Phone

(312) 369-1000

Website
www.colum.edu/

Mission Statement

Columbia College Chicago is an undergraduate and graduate institution whose principal commitment is to provide a comprehensive educational opportunity in the arts, communications and public information within a context of enlightened liberal education. Columbia's intent is to educate students who will communicate creatively and shape the public's perceptions of issues and events and who will author the culture of their times. Columbia is an urban institution whose students reflect the economic, racial, cultural and educational diversity of contemporary America.

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Mission Statement

×

Columbia College Chicago is an undergraduate and graduate institution whose principal commitment is to provide a comprehensive educational opportunity in the arts, communications and public information within a context of enlightened liberal education. Columbia's intent is to educate students who will communicate creatively and shape the public's perceptions of issues and events and who will author the culture of their times. Columbia is an urban institution whose students reflect the economic, racial, cultural and educational diversity of contemporary America.

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$31,026

Out of state

$31,026
Graduate

In state

$2,385

Out of state

$2,385

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
99%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 51.0% $5,738
State/local grants 35.0% $5,040
Institutional grants 98.0% $13,293
Loans 61.0% $7,301

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

$18,000 per year

Books & Supplies

$1,700 per year

Personal Expenses

$2,990 per year

Pay For College with ROTC

Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is a college scholarship program that prepares students to become military officers

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Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production
  • Graphic Design
  • Photography
  • Fashion/Apparel Design
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Retail Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to manage the operations of a wide variety of retail businesses, including department stores; independent and chain stores; fashion, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical establishments; and online retail businesses. Includes instruction in retail management, merchandise management, customer service management, marketing, organizational behavior, accounting, finance, business law, and personnel management. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Marketing/Marketing Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Recording Arts Technology/Technician
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the production of sound recordings as finished products or as components of film/video, broadcast, live, or mixed media productions. Includes instruction in sound equipment operation and maintenance; music, dialogue, and sound effects recording; soundtrack editing; dubbing and mixing; sound engineering; tape, disk, and CD production; digital recording and transmission; amplification and modulation; and working with producers, editors, directors, artists, and production managers. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
      • A program that prepares individuals to use computer applications and related visual and sound imaging techniques to manipulate images and information originating as film, video, still photographs, digital copy, soundtracks, and physical objects in order to communicate messages simulating real-world content. Includes instruction in specialized camerawork and equipment operation and maintenance, image capture, computer programming, dubbing, CAD applications, and applications to specific commercial, industrial, and entertainment needs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Programming/Programmer, General
      • A program that focuses on the general writing and implementation of generic and customized programs to drive operating systems and that generally prepares individuals to apply the methods and procedures of software design and programming to software installation and maintenance. Includes instruction in software design, low- and high-level languages and program writing; program customization and linking; prototype testing; troubleshooting; and related aspects of operating systems and networks. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply HTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, graphics applications, and other authoring tools to the design, editing, and publishing (launching) of documents, images, graphics, sound, and multimedia products on the World Wide Web. Includes instruction in Internet theory, web page standards and policies, elements of web page design, user interfaces, vector tools, special effects, interactive and multimedia components, search engines, navigation, morphing, e-commerce tools, and emerging web technologies. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Creative Writing
      • A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply business, coaching and physical education principles to the organization, administration and management of athletic programs and teams, fitness/rehabilitation facilities and health clubs, sport recreation services, and related services. Includes instruction in program planning and development; business and financial management principles; sales, marketing and recruitment; event promotion, scheduling and management; facilities management; public relations; legal aspects of sports; and applicable health and safety standards. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Acoustics
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of sound, and the properties and behavior of acoustic wave phenomena under different conditions. Includes instruction in wave theory, the acoustic wave equation, energy transformation, vibration phenomena, sound reflection and transmission, scattering and surface wave phenomena, singularity expansion theory, ducting, and applications to specific research problems such as underwater acoustics, crystallography, and health diagnostics. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Commercial and Advertising Art
      • A program in the applied visual arts that prepares individuals to use artistic techniques to effectively communicate ideas and information to business and consumer audiences via illustrations and other forms of digital or printed media. Includes instruction in concept design, layout, paste-up, and techniques such as engraving, etching, silkscreen, lithography, offset, drawing and cartooning, painting, collage, and computer graphics. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fashion/Apparel Design
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional design of commercial fashions, apparel, and accessories, and the management of fashion development projects. Includes instruction in apparel design; accessory design; the design of men's', women's', and children's' wear; flat pattern design; computer-assisted design and manufacturing; concept planning; designing in specific materials; labor and cost analysis; history of fashion; fabric art and printing; and the principles of management and operations in the fashion industry. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Interior Design
      • A program in the applied visual arts that prepares individuals to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional planning, designing, equipping, and furnishing of residential and commercial interior spaces. Includes instruction in computer applications, drafting, and graphic techniques; principles of interior lighting, acoustics, systems integration, and color coordination; furniture and furnishings; textiles and their finishing; the history of interior design and period styles; basic structural design; building codes and inspection regulations; and applications to office, hotel, factory, restaurant and housing design. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Graphic Design
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply artistic and computer techniques to the interpretation of technical and commercial concepts. Includes instruction in computer-assisted art and design, printmaking, concepts sketching, technical drawing, color theory, imaging, studio technique, still and life modeling, multimedia applications, communication skills and commercial art business operations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Game and Interactive Media Design
      • A program that focuses on the design, development, and programming of interactive media entertainment, including computer and video games, virtual environments, Internet applications, and other interactive media. Includes instruction in theory of games, turn-based games, real-time games, visual and interactive design, story development, animation, simulation, and programming. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply artistic, technical and dramatic principles and techniques to the communication of dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through technical theatre methods. Includes instruction in set design, lighting design, sound effects, theatre acoustics, scene painting, property management, costume design, and technical direction and production and use of computer applications to support these functions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Playwriting and Screenwriting
      • A program that focuses on the principles and techniques for communicating dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the composition of creative written works for the theatre, film, and/or television. Includes instruction in creative writing craft, scene writing, script development, stage and/or camera instructions, line and moment analysis, script reading, script editing, and the creation of full productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Acting
      • A program that prepares individuals to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the achievement of naturalistic and believable behavior in imaginary circumstances. Includes instruction in voice and acting speech, stage dialects, movement, improvisation, acting styles, theatre history, script interpretation, and actor coaching. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Directing and Theatrical Production
      • A program that prepares individuals to manage the planning, design, preparation, and production of plays and other theatrical entertainment programs. Includes instruction in theatrical design, program management, dramatic production, rehearsal management, personnel management and casting, actor coaching, directing concepts and techniques, theater history, scene work, script interpretation, business management, marketing, public relations, and communications skills. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Musical Theatre
      • A program that focuses on the principles and techniques for integrating theatre, music, and dance into a unified production. Includes instruction in acting, dance, voice, technical theater, musical genres, piano, and history of musical theater. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Comedy Writing and Performance
      • A program that focuses on the historical, cultural, and theoretical dimensions of comedy as an art form, and the writing, performance, and production of comedy. Includes instruction in comedic storytelling, comedy production, comedy writing, history of comedy, improvisation, and sketch writing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
    • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
      • A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/media arts, as well as the basic principles of filmmaking and film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Cinematography and Film/Video Production
      • A program that prepares individuals to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the making and producing of films and videos. Includes instruction in theory of film, film technology and equipment operation, film production, film directing, film editing, cinematographic art, film audio, techniques for making specific types of films and/or videos, media technologies, computer image making, multi-media production, and the planning and management of film/video operations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Photography
      • A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of communicating information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the creation of images on photographic film, plates, and digital images and that may prepare individuals to be professional photographic artists. Includes instruction in camera and equipment operation and maintenance, film and plate developing, light and composition, films and printing media, color and special effects, photographic art, photographic history, use of computer applications to record or enhance images and applications to the photography of various subjects. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Documentary Production
      • A program that prepares individuals to produce nonfiction film and video. Includes instruction in film and video writing, directing, and production; film studies; history of the documentary; research techniques; videography; editing; and business aspects of film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
      • A program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. Includes instruction in the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Intermedia/Multimedia
      • A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions in either two or three dimensions, through simultaneous use of a variety of materials and media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Performance, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Theory and Composition
      • A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Technology
      • A program that focuses on the creative aspects of the blending of music and technology; and that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the composition, recording, synthesis, and performance of music; audio-visual production; scoring for film and multimedia; and software and multimedia development. Includes instruction in music theory, music history, composition, acoustics, recording technology, computer composition, electronic music synthesis, technology-based performance, 3D sound and spatial audio, and music business and law. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, Other
    • Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage various aspects of the visual arts, performing arts, and entertainment media industries. Includes instruction in business and financial management, marketing and fund-raising, labor relations for the arts, event promotion and management, product and artist management, and applicable law. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine and Studio Arts Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage fine and studio art organizations, operations, and facilities. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; public relations and arts advocacy; arts law; and applications to specific arts activities such as galleries, museums, studios, foundations, and community organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage music organizations, operations, facilities, and personnel. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; music products merchandising; artist agency and promotion; music law; and applications to specific activities such as managing theaters, recording studios and companies, bands and other ensembles, individual artists, and music organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply business management principles to the management of theatres and production corporations. Includes instruction in theatrical production, theatre design and planning, fund-raising and promotion, investment strategies, human resources management, theatre operations management, marketing, public relations, financial management and insurance, and applicable laws and regulations. See other colleges that offer this major

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Creative Writing
  • Fine and Studio Arts Management
  • Music, Other
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
  • Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • Creative Writing
      • A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Movement Therapy and Movement Education
      • A program that prepares individuals to use functional and expressive integration strategies to help promote somatic awareness and optimal psychophysical functioning. Includes instruction in skilled touch techniques, kinesthetic awareness processes, movement observation, patterning, client assessment and guidance, verbal and nonverbal communication, practice management, professional standards and ethics, and specific therapeutic and educational modalities See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Interior Design
      • A program in the applied visual arts that prepares individuals to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional planning, designing, equipping, and furnishing of residential and commercial interior spaces. Includes instruction in computer applications, drafting, and graphic techniques; principles of interior lighting, acoustics, systems integration, and color coordination; furniture and furnishings; textiles and their finishing; the history of interior design and period styles; basic structural design; building codes and inspection regulations; and applications to office, hotel, factory, restaurant and housing design. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Acting
      • A program that prepares individuals to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the achievement of naturalistic and believable behavior in imaginary circumstances. Includes instruction in voice and acting speech, stage dialects, movement, improvisation, acting styles, theatre history, script interpretation, and actor coaching. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
      • A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/media arts, as well as the basic principles of filmmaking and film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Cinematography and Film/Video Production
      • A program that prepares individuals to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the making and producing of films and videos. Includes instruction in theory of film, film technology and equipment operation, film production, film directing, film editing, cinematographic art, film audio, techniques for making specific types of films and/or videos, media technologies, computer image making, multi-media production, and the planning and management of film/video operations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Photography
      • A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of communicating information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the creation of images on photographic film, plates, and digital images and that may prepare individuals to be professional photographic artists. Includes instruction in camera and equipment operation and maintenance, film and plate developing, light and composition, films and printing media, color and special effects, photographic art, photographic history, use of computer applications to record or enhance images and applications to the photography of various subjects. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Intermedia/Multimedia
      • A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions in either two or three dimensions, through simultaneous use of a variety of materials and media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
    • Music, Other
    • Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage various aspects of the visual arts, performing arts, and entertainment media industries. Includes instruction in business and financial management, marketing and fund-raising, labor relations for the arts, event promotion and management, product and artist management, and applicable law. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine and Studio Arts Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage fine and studio art organizations, operations, and facilities. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; public relations and arts advocacy; arts law; and applications to specific arts activities such as galleries, museums, studios, foundations, and community organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage music organizations, operations, facilities, and personnel. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; music products merchandising; artist agency and promotion; music law; and applications to specific activities such as managing theaters, recording studios and companies, bands and other ensembles, individual artists, and music organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
No Information for this section

Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
94.77%
  • Apply 7,701
  • Accepted 7,298
  • Attend 1,606

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$25
Graduate
$60

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required

  • High school GPA

    Not applicable

  • Recommendation letter

    Not applicable

  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable

  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required

  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Not applicable

  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable
No Information for this section

Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
60%
Male Students
40%
Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian43.67%
  2. Hispanic/Latino25.14%
  3. Black16.94%
  4. Two Or More Ethnicities9.44%
  5. Asian3.48%
  6. Not Specified1.13%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.11%
  8. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.09%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

7,186

Undergraduate students

6,904

Graduate students

282

Full Time Students
95%
Part Time Students
5%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children
No Information for this section

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.