Columbia Southern University

Overview of Columbia Southern University

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Bachelor's degree options include criminal justice, emergency medical services, business, information technology/cyber security, and psychology, among others. There are also certificate options for those who don't have the time for a full degree program, or for those who are seeking additional credentials to start a new path. Certificate options include but are not limited to: cyber security, fire science, finance, public administration, project management, and sports management.

As for accreditation, CSU is a member of the American Council on Education and is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, which is recognized by the US Department of Education. Furthermore, Columbia Southern is licensed by the State of Alabama in accordance with the Alabama Private School License Law.

On top of all that, CSU provides comprehensive support for its students. Each student can take advantage of CSU's Career Services. There, they can receive one-on-one counseling and other services including interview advice, tips for the job search, and more.

Top Rankings For Columbia Southern University

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CSU Acceptance Rate and Admissions

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CSU Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

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A Columbia Southern University education is a terrific value. The gross cost of a year of full-time courses including books, supplies, and fees is around $7,000. While each student must also cover living expenses, this figure is sure to be highly variable depending on where students live. After all, students might live in New York City and have a very high cost of living, or a town in Alabama where rent is relatively cheap. Regardless, CSU posts figures for living costs and they tally the total cost for a year of full-time study at $17,000.

However, once financial aid is factored in, CSU students pay a net price of $11,000. This price goes as low as $10,000 for lower income students and as high as $14,000 for the top income bracket. Some students may even be able to get their costs lower with additional grants or scholarships.

Sticker Price

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Academics

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Columbia Southern University is an online institution that delivers a flexible, distance-learning experience for students worldwide. While the online education environment offers certain challenges for students, CSU is delivering excellent academic numbers. Their retention and graduation numbers rival many traditional campus institutions and their students find that their degrees translate into successful, high-earning careers.

One key number that demonstrates that CSU delivers top academics is its retention rate of 62% for full-time students and 42% for part-time students. This means that the majority of students who complete a year of college with CSU will return for a second year. Students are thus impressed with their classes and faculty, so they return for another year. Then, 22% of CSU students remain on the virtual campus and complete their bachelor's degrees. However, CSU offers a range of degrees and certificates, including associate degrees, which may not show up in these statistics.

To add to these strong numbers, CSU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 41 to 1. This number might not sound very impressive, but each student in the online environment is able to email their instructor and engage in a dialogue as though they were one-on-one.

Student Population Total

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Outcome & Salary

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CSU students are looking at terrific outcomes for their degrees. Whether they go the full distance and complete a bachelor's degree or start a career with an associate degree, CSU degree holders earn good salaries. In fact, when assessing the top-earning alumni, one sees that the fire protection bachelor's degree is quite lucrative. Those graduates earn a median salary of $67,000. In fact, those with associate degree in fire protection earn only slightly less at $62,000. At the lower end, business administration students start their careers with a median income of $46,000. Ultimately, a CSU degree represents a sound educational investment.

Photos & Videos

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