Average

Score: 47/100

Overall (traditional)

Outcome Rating

66/100 · earnings-weighted

Columbia Southern University

4-Year Private For-Profit

📍 Orange Beach, Alabama 36561

🌐 www.columbiasouthern.edu/

Columbia Southern University — tuition $5,528

Columbia Southern University campus, Orange Beach, AL. Photo: Columbia Southern University, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

ℹ️

Rating Context: ⚠️ Limited Data Available. Some metrics for this institution are incomplete or unavailable, which may affect the overall grade. Consider researching this school directly for the most current information.

Suggested Focus: For this type of institution, we recommend prioritizing the Outcomes Score (C+) which measures graduation and job placement rates — the most relevant metrics for career programs.
Graduation Rate: 37%

Outcomes

C+

56/100

Affordability

54/100

Resources

47/100

Experience

40/100

Prestige

32/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

18,487

Total Enrollment

37%

Graduation Rate

59%

Retention Rate

28.0:1

Student-Faculty Ratio

N/A

Acceptance Rate

N/A

Avg Net Price

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at Columbia Southern University, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$63,534

Median earnings 10 yrs after entry

$55,140

Median earnings 6 yrs after entry

$21,339

Median debt at graduation

33.3%

Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)

24.2%

Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 34% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 80th percentile among similar colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (AL wage index 0.78). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at Columbia Southern University

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major	1 yr after	4 yrs after	vs. national	Rank (pay)	Rank (wage-adj.)	Median debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$83,927	$95,774	+35%	#29 of 253	#14	$20,057
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	$78,532	$94,480	+9%	#2 of 19	#1	$23,425
Fire Protection	$82,718	$88,735	+3%	#9 of 19	#8	$20,895
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$74,546	$81,292	+48%	#2 of 265	#1	$22,078
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	$61,894	$77,738	-9%	#61 of 99	#41	$19,843
Homeland Security	$62,313	$73,703	+5%	#9 of 33	#5	$21,628
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$60,461	$70,354	+27%	#23 of 660	#4	$20,209
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$58,468	$69,343	+2%	#395 of 1176	#159	$23,998
Computer and Information Sciences	$53,644	$63,248	-32%	#422 of 459	#378	$23,491
Human Resources Management and Services	$53,843	$62,061	-9%	#147 of 187	#80	$21,862
Health and Medical Administrative Services	$51,692	$61,821	+5%	#111 of 275	#64	$23,621
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	$38,439	$49,618	-5%	#31 of 50	#17	$25,000

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The Columbia Southern University Town Property Report

Avg home value near campus: $688,173
Avg rent near campus: $2,533/mo
Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 32506 (5.0% cap, Pensacola)

Get the free 1-page report: rent-vs-dorm math, the 3 best nearby ZIPs by yield, and the “kiddie condo” strategy parents use.

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🏆 Where Columbia Southern University Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

Fire Services Administration

of 10 schools

#12

Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician

of 22 schools

#13

Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician

of 17 schools

#15

Homeland Security

of 22 schools

#18

Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

of 24 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category	In-State	Out-of-State
Tuition	$5,528	$5,528

Financial Aid

67%

Receive Any Aid

47%

Receive Pell Grants

49%

Take Out Loans

N/A

Avg Net Price

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Business Administration and Management, General 1,847 grads/yr Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician 1,766 grads/yr Fire Services Administration 974 grads/yr Fire Science/Fire-fighting 613 grads/yr Organizational Leadership 328 grads/yr Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 311 grads/yr Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) 245 grads/yr Criminal Justice/Police Science 188 grads/yr Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 162 grads/yr Public Administration 160 grads/yr Health/Health Care Administration/Management 150 grads/yr Homeland Security 141 grads/yr Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management 139 grads/yr Information Technology 136 grads/yr Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician 113 grads/yr Environmental Studies 109 grads/yr General Studies 101 grads/yr Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 98 grads/yr Public Health, General 96 grads/yr Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder 50 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from Columbia Southern University's top programs commonly pursue.

Chief executives

$206k/yr 309,400 jobs

Compensation and benefits managers

$140k/yr 20,900 jobs

Human resources managers

$140k/yr 221,900 jobs

Sales managers

$138k/yr 619,500 jobs

Managers, all other

$137k/yr 1,333,700 jobs

Training and development managers

$127k/yr 46,400 jobs

Industrial production managers

$121k/yr 241,900 jobs

Administrative services managers

$108k/yr 271,200 jobs

Student Demographics

18,487

Total Students

37%

Women

Traditional Age (18-24)

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 58%

Hispanic 2%

Black 18%

Asian 3%

Two or More 3%

🏠 Living Arrangements

💻 Learning Mode

Fully Online 100%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 8%

25-64 (Adult) 92%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Columbia Southern University?

Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution. Many schools with open enrollment or specialized programs do not report traditional acceptance rates.

How much does it cost to attend Columbia Southern University?

Tuition at Columbia Southern University is $5,528 for in-state students and $5,528 for out-of-state students .

What is the graduation rate at Columbia Southern University?

The graduation rate at Columbia Southern University is 37%. This graduation rate is low, which may reflect the institution's student population, program types, or other factors worth investigating.

Is Columbia Southern University a good school?

Columbia Southern University has a Repit College Score of 47/100 (Grade: C). Our rating evaluates five key factors:

Outcomes (C+): Graduation and retention rates
Affordability (C): Net cost and financial aid access
Resources (C): Class sizes and selectivity
Experience (D): Campus life and learning format
Prestige (D): Reputation and recognition

Note: As a smaller institution, we recommend focusing on the Outcomes score when evaluating this school.

How many students attend Columbia Southern University?

Columbia Southern University has a total enrollment of 18,487 students.

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