Columbia College - San Diego
San Diego, CA 921405290
About Columbia College - San Diego
Columbia College - San Diego is a private university in San Diego, California. Columbia College - San Diego awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Published tuition for full-time study is about $8,256 per year before aid; net price varies by family income. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $45,378 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is 2% above.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $45,378.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia College - San Diego | $8,256 | — | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Columbia College - San Diego really?
Key findings
- Columbia College - San Diego charges about 0.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($8,256).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is 2% above.
Columbia College - San Diego tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $8,256
Finding Columbia College - San Diego charges about 0.3× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $8,256. That is about 0.3× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is 2% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 31% below.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Columbia College - San Diego versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Columbia College - San Diego: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Columbia College - San Diego—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Median earnings should be read with net price, debt, and completion—not as a standalone quality score.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$8,256
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $33,024. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
Is Columbia College - San Diego a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Columbia College - San Diego is a good school for those looking for strong graduate earnings outcomes in College Scorecard data.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Columbia College - San Diego.
Campus
Location
San Diego, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 921405290
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
Student aid
Debt & aid
$23,879
Median federal loan debt
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Columbia College - San Diego.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Columbia College - San Diego was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Columbia College - San Diego in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2016–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $5,280 | — | — |
| 2017 | $6,840 | — | — |
| 2018 | $8,400 | — | — |
| 2019 | $8,112 | — | — |
| 2020 | $8,112 | $8,112 | — |
| 2021 | $8,832 | $8,832 | — |
| 2022 | $8,496 | $8,496 | — |
| 2023 | $8,304 | $8,304 | — |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Roughly 48.6% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
N/A% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Columbia College - San Diego in 2024 is N/A students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
0.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Columbia College - San Diego completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Columbia College - San Diego graduates earn a median of $45,378 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Columbia College - San Diego.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $45,378. Median federal loan debt: $23,879.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Columbia College - San Diego graduates report median earnings of $45,378 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Columbia College - San Diego.
Program completion data is not available for this institution.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Columbia College - San Diego graduates.
Columbia College - San Diego at a glance
Columbia College - San Diego
Columbia College - San Diego is a private non-profit institution in San Diego, CA.
Schools near Columbia College - San Diego
Other campuses in San Diego, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Columbia College - San Diego located?
Columbia College - San Diego is located in San Diego, CA.
What is Columbia College - San Diego's tuition?
Columbia College - San Diego tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $8,256 in the latest College Scorecard data.
How much does Columbia College - San Diego cost?
Reported tuition is $8,256 and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Columbia College - San Diego?
About 48.6% of students at Columbia College - San Diego are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Columbia College - San Diego earn?
Median earnings are $40,747 six years after entry and $45,378 ten years after entry.
How much debt do Columbia College - San Diego students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $23,879.
Is Columbia College - San Diego public or private?
Columbia College - San Diego is a private nonprofit institution located in San Diego, CA.
Is Columbia College - San Diego an HBCU?
No. Columbia College - San Diego is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Columbia College - San Diego a tribal college?
No. Columbia College - San Diego is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Columbia College - San Diego religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Columbia College - San Diego in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.