Calculate schools. Win a $500+ scholarship. Free to enter. Every calculation is a ticket.Enter free →
AccessibleUpdated for the 2026-2027 cycle

Columbia College (SC) acceptance rate and your odds of getting in

Columbia College (SC), a private college in South Carolina, reports a 94% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.

Use this page to see what Columbia College (SC) weighs, where it ranks among South Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.

Acceptance rate
94%
Accessible
Admitted SAT (75th pct)
1120
of admitted students
Type
Private
Columbia, SC
Average net price
$18,408
per year after aid
Get your real chances at Columbia College (SC)
CollegeCalcAI computes a personalized acceptance estimate from your GPA, scores, and activities. Free, no account to start.
Open the calculator

What do students study at Columbia College (SC)?

Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.

Education · 51 (20.8%)Business, Management and Marketing · 37 (15.1%)Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting · 35 (14.3%)Health Professions and Related Programs · 33 (13.5%)Psychology · 31 (12.7%)Public Administration and Social Service · 15 (6.1%)

Will I get into Columbia College (SC)?

Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Columbia College (SC), plus a free way to calculate your own odds.

What are my chances of getting into Columbia College (SC)?

Your odds at Columbia College (SC) are not the same as its 94% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Columbia College (SC) in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.

Is Columbia College (SC) hard to get into?

Columbia College (SC) is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 94% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.

What GPA do you need to get into Columbia College (SC)?

There is no hard GPA cutoff at Columbia College (SC), but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Columbia College (SC) reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.

What SAT score do you need for Columbia College (SC)?

Columbia College (SC) does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Columbia College (SC).

Calculate your chances at Columbia College (SC) →

How to get into Columbia College (SC)

Built from Columbia College (SC)'s admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.

There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Columbia College (SC), but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.

Step 1
Match the typical admit on the transcript

CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Columbia College (SC) carries about a 2.97 core GPA and a 1070 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.

Step 2
Build the file around what Columbia College (SC) weighs

Columbia College (SC) rates academic GPA highest. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.

Step 3
Apply in the round that helps

An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Columbia College (SC)'s exact dates at www.columbiasc.edu.

See your odds and your top moves at Columbia College (SC) →Add it to your college list →Official site: www.columbiasc.edu ↗

How many students apply to Columbia College (SC), and how many get in?

Columbia College (SC) admitted 2,072 of the 2,163 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 95.8%. 204 enrolled. Only about 10% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Columbia College (SC) enrolls about 1,343 undergraduates in total, 79% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.

Applied
2,163
fall 2023
Admitted
2,072
95.8% of applicants
Enrolled
204
10% yield
Undergraduates
1,343
Columbia, midsize city

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.

What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Columbia College (SC)?

Columbia College (SC) reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.

Test scores
Neither required nor recommended
admissions policy

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.

What Columbia College (SC) looks for

What Columbia College (SC) weighs most heavily in its admissions review, modeled from its selectivity and profile.

The factors that carry the most weight at Columbia College (SC) are academic GPA. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. The full breakdown is charted below; with no reported data published, it is modeled from schools of this selectivity and type, so treat it as a planning guide rather than an official rubric.

Rigor of secondary school record
Considered
Academic GPA
Important
Class rank
Considered
Standardized test scores
Considered
Character / personal qualities
Considered
First-generation status
Considered
Work experience
Considered

SAT score positioning at Columbia College (SC)

How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.

SATWhere it sits at Columbia College (SC)
1600Above the admitted 75th percentile
1500Above the admitted 75th percentile
1400Above the admitted 75th percentile
1300Above the admitted 75th percentile
1200Above the admitted 75th percentile
1100In the competitive admitted range
Colleges for a 1120 SAT →Colleges for a 22 ACT →See colleges by GPA →

How much does Columbia College (SC) cost after financial aid?

Columbia College (SC)'s published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $35,258 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $22,214. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,408 a year, and it ranges from $17,541 for families earning under $30,000 to $20,399 for families earning over $110,000. 54% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.

Sticker price
$35,258
per year, before aid
Average net price
$18,408
after grants and scholarships
Pell recipients
54%
of undergraduates
Family incomeAverage net price per year
$0 to $30k$17,541
$30k to $48k$17,017
$48k to $75k$16,816
$75k to $110k$22,928
Over $110k$20,399

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.

What do Columbia College (SC) graduates earn, and how many graduate?

Ten years after enrolling, the median Columbia College (SC) student who received federal aid earns $41,338 a year, up from $45,863 at six years. 37% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 60% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $22,750; 65% of undergraduates take federal loans.

Median earnings
$41,338
10 years after entry
Graduation rate
37%
within six years
Retention
60%
return for year two
Median debt
$22,750
at graduation, borrowers

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.

How Columbia College (SC) compares in South Carolina

Columbia College (SC) ranks #29 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.

Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, Columbia College (SC) ranks #29 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Clemson University (38%) and Furman University (43%) sit nearby, which makes South Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.

Clemson University
38%acceptance · SC
Furman University
43%acceptance · SC
Morris College
50%acceptance · SC
Voorhees University
50%acceptance · SC
Wofford College
52%acceptance · SC
Anderson University (SC)
55%acceptance · SC
Bob Jones University
58%acceptance · SC
College of Charleston
60%acceptance · SC
See all South Carolina schools →

Similar to Columbia College (SC)

Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.

Applicants targeting Columbia College (SC) often weigh Barton College, Coker University, and Davis & Elkins College, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.

Barton College
94%acceptance · NC
Coker University
94%acceptance · SC
Davis & Elkins College
94%acceptance · WV
George Fox University
94%acceptance · OR
Ohio Dominican University
94%acceptance · OH
Columbia International University
94%acceptance · SC

Frequently asked questions

What is Columbia College (SC)'s acceptance rate?

Columbia College (SC) admitted 2,072 of 2,163 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 95.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 10% of admitted students enrolled.

Is Columbia College (SC) test-optional?

Columbia College (SC) reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.

How much does Columbia College (SC) cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Columbia College (SC), what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,408 a year against a sticker price of about $35,258. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $17,541 on average.

What do Columbia College (SC) graduates earn?

Median earnings ten years after entering Columbia College (SC) are $41,338 a year among students who received federal aid, and 37% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).

What does Columbia College (SC) value most in applicants?

Based on its admissions profile, Columbia College (SC) weighs academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.

Does Columbia College (SC) consider legacy or demonstrated interest?

Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Columbia College (SC)'s full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.

How can I improve my chances at Columbia College (SC)?

Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Columbia College (SC) specifically.

Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.