Columbia College, SC SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Columbia College admits most applicants, but its 60% freshman retention and 37% six-year graduation rate make fit and support worth taking seriously. Because it is test-optional, submit scores only if they strengthen your file, with a useful target near the upper end of its 850–1140 SAT range.
Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Columbia College, SC facts and stats
Columbia College, SC enrolls about 1,391 undergraduates in an urban campus setting. Columbia College has a freshman retention rate of 60% and a 6-year graduation rate of 37%. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1.
Columbia, SC
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Key Columbia College, SC application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
—
Early Action
Not offered
Early Decision
Not offered
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
April 15
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional Columbia College, take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year and save summer and fall for superscore-focused retakes. With no Early Action or Early Decision deadline, the December test is typically the last retake that can arrive in time for Regular Decision.
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What you'll actually pay
Columbia College is a private not-for-profit, so the same tuition and fees rate applies to all students: $22,214. With 86% of students receiving aid and an average merit award of $7,732, be sure to submit the FAFSA by the April 15 priority deadline.

Columbia College’s listed cost of attendance is about $31,604, including $22,214 in tuition and fees and $9,390 for room and board. Aid is common: 86% of students receive financial aid, with an average package of $17,874, and the average merit award is $7,732. Graduates leave with an average debt of $11,426.
Student life at Columbia College, SC
29% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: Guaranteed
Fraternities and sororities are active on campus.
Similar schools
Aiken Technical College
Graniteville, SCAcceptance rate: 69.9%
Allen University
Columbia, SCAcceptance rate: 72.5%
Anderson University
Anderson, SCAcceptance rate: 54.7%
SAT: 1110–1270
ACT: 22–29
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SCAcceptance rate: 96.5%
SAT: 940–1170
ACT: 18–24
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