Columbia State Community College
A good fit for families who need the lowest possible cost and students who prefer a mid-size campus. graduation rate is below 40%. a public school with 3,897 students.
About This School
Columbia State Community College is a public institution located in Columbia, Tennessee with approximately 3,897 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $4,734 per year. The graduation rate is 30%, and the typical graduate earns $34,600 within 10 years of enrollment.
Columbia State Community College is a public community college in Columbia, Tennessee. Founded in 1966, it serves nine counties in southern Middle Tennessee through five campuses. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Science in Teaching, Associate of Fine Arts, and Associate of Applied Science degrees, and technical certificates.
Worth considering if you're looking for an affordable path to a degree or transfer — at just $4,576/year after aid and a median debt of only $5,500 at graduation, the financial risk here is genuinely low. The honest concern is the earnings picture: graduates are making a median of $34,600 ten years out, which is modest, so this school makes the most sense as a stepping stone to a four-year program rather than a final destination.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 18% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Columbia State Community College graduates earn most above the national rate in Computer and Information Sciences, General ($56,354 vs $54,246 nationally), and most below it in Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($56,642 vs $65,389).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 541 | $40,271 | $44,125 | −$3,854 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 84 | $78,499 | $80,813 | −$2,314 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 38 | $41,027 | $48,733 | −$7,706 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 28 | $56,354 | $54,246 | +$2,108 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 25 | $56,642 | $65,389 | −$8,747 |
| Education, General | 18 | $41,890 | $41,787 | +$103 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 16 | $37,930 | $41,460 | −$3,530 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing an associate's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (3,897 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
Schools Like This in Tennessee
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Roane State Community College
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Southwest Tennessee Community College
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Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga, TN · Public
Motlow State Community College
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See How Colleges Compare
Columbia State Community College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Columbia State Community College cost?
The average net price at Columbia State Community College is about $4,734 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Columbia State Community College?
Columbia State Community College has a graduation rate of 30%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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