by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Columbia Southern University, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
Use the links below to jump straight to any section on this page:
The total published cost of attendance at Columbia Southern University comes to about $18,002.00 per academic year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $6,760.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,242.00 |
| Total cost | $18,002.00 |
| That is 45% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $18,002.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$3,646.00 |
| Net price | $14,356.00 |
| That is 56% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $18,002.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$5,313.00 |
| Net price | $12,689.00 |
| That is 61% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see tuition and fees plus living costs. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by roughly 5.8% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $13,420.00 | $15,183.00 | $19,039.00 |
| Senior year | $15,874.00 | $17,960.00 | $22,521.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $58,496.00 | $66,181.00 | $82,989.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $22,285.00 | $25,213.00 | $31,616.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $673.00 | $762.00 | $955.00 |
| Total amount paid | $80,781.00 | $91,394.00 | $114,605.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $13,420.00 | $15,183.00 | $19,039.00 |
| Senior year | $14,193.00 | $16,057.00 | $20,135.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $27,612.00 | $31,240.00 | $39,174.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,519.00 | $11,901.00 | $14,924.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $318.00 | $360.00 | $451.00 |
| Total amount paid | $38,132.00 | $43,141.00 | $54,098.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $14,580.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $14,975.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $13,772.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $15,391.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,413.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $16,317.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $17,878.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Columbia Southern University Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of Columbia Southern University stands at $13,980.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,760.00 |
| 25th | $4,109.00 |
| Median (50th) | $13,980.00 |
| 75th | $21,325.00 |
| 90th | $33,965.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt detail.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,385.00 |
| Middle income | $13,803.00 |
| High income | $12,502.00 |
On average, low-income graduates leave with $2,883.00 more debt than their high-income peers.
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,406.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,415.00 |
First-gen students at Columbia Southern University graduate with $1,991.00 in additional median debt versus continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Columbia Southern University amounts to $3,453.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The default-rate classification at Columbia Southern University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.6% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Columbia Southern University come to $937,708,259.00 across 38,471 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 2,425 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $4,621.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 3,353 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,287.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veteran aid breakdown.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Columbia Southern University, the questions below are worth your time:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.