Columbia Institute campus
Columbia Institute logo

Columbia Institute

Type Less than 2 year, Private
Business Model For Profit
Campus locale Suburb: Large
Degrees offered Undergraduate
Calendar system Continuous
Student body size Small
Student to faculty ratio 18 to 1
Students retention rate 72%
On-time graduation rate 30%

Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, Columbia Institute is a private, for profit institution that offers undergraduate degrees. The college operates on a continuous calendar system, providing flexibility in scheduling.

One of the notable aspects of Columbia Institute is its open admission policy. This means that all high school graduates and individuals who hold a GED qualification are eligible to apply for admission. This inclusive approach allows a wide range of students to pursue their higher education goals, regardless of their academic background.

Columbia Institute is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, ensuring that the institution meets certain standards of quality and effectiveness. This accreditation also allows students to transfer credits to other accredited institutions if they choose to continue their education elsewhere.

The student-to-faculty ratio at Columbia Institute is 18-to-1, which is slightly higher than both the state and national averages. The state average student-to-faculty ratio in Maryland is 13-to-1, while the national average is 16-to-1. A lower student-to-faculty ratio generally allows for more personalized attention and interaction between students and faculty.

While the on-time graduation rate at Columbia Institute is reported to be 30%, it is essential to consider the context of this statistic. For-profit institutions often serve a diverse student population, including many non-traditional students who may face unique challenges in completing their degrees. For comparison, Maryland state's graduation rate for the 2021-2022 was 55% whereas the national average was 69%.

The retention rate of students at Columbia Institute is 72% , which is lower than both the state and national averages. The state average retention rate in Maryland is 76%, while the national average is 76%. This indicates that a significant proportion of students who enroll at Columbia Institute do not continue their studies after the first year.


  • Accredited by: Council on Occupational Education

Admission

Open Admission

The institution does not have any selection criteria for enrollment. All high school graduates and GED certificate holders are eligible for admission.

Tuition & Fees

The most popular programs at Columbia Institute are Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage. Below is the cost of attendance for these programs as well as the cost of attendance for similar schools that provide the same program.

Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

Average Net Price

The net price represents the amount of money students pay after receiving financial aid. In 2022, the average net price for first-year, full-time students at Columbia Institute was $11,652. This amount varies among students due to the different levels of financial aid offered based on their family's financial status.

Financial aid includes federal, state, or local government grants and institutional grants and scholarships

Columbia Institute net price calculator

$11,652

Below is the average net price of Less than 2 year, private For Profit colleges in Maryland and nationwide.

Maryland's average $14,436
National average $17,367
Below is the net price of Columbia Institute for the past 10 years categorized by different levels of family income brackets.
Year Average Price Change Less than $30k $30k to $48k $48k to $75k $75k to $110k over $110k
2022 $11,652 $886 (8%) $11,652
2021 $10,766 $984 (10%) $10,781 $10,628 $10,710
2020 $9,782 $397 (4%) $9,769 $9,782 $9,925 $9,780
2019 $10,179 $339 (3%) $10,287 $9,513 $10,190
2018 $9,840 $144 (1%) $9,819 $9,703 $11,917
2017 $9,696 $122 (1%) $9,611 $11,147 $13,382
2016 $9,818 $1,032 (10%) $9,818
2015 $10,850 $1,610 (17%) $10,754 $11,276 $11,545
2014 $9,240 -- $9,389 $8,296 $9,238

Tuition Plans

Tuition plans offered by Columbia Institute during 2022 academic year.

  • Prepaid tuition plan
    Not Offered
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
    Not Offered
  • Tuition payment plan
    Offered
  • Other alternative tuition plan
    Not Offered

Financial Aid

Average Grant & Scholarships

In 2022, 100 of freshman students at Columbia Institute received on average $3,340 in grant and scholarships from the college, the state and/or the federal government. Below is detail stats of the aid provided to full-time, freshman students.

$3,340
Students Receiving Aid Average Amount Total Amount
Pell Grant 21 100% $2,678 $56,234
Other Federal Grant 21 100% $2,678 $56,234
State Grant/Scholarships 0 0% - -
Institutional Grant/Scholarships 21 100% $662 $13,905
Total Grant & Scholarships 21 100% $3,340 $70,139

Financial Aid By Income Level

Financial aid breakdown by students family income level. The data is organized by income level group starting from families making below $30k to above $110k.

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Academic Programs

Below is a list of academic programs offered at Columbia Institute sorted by popularity.

English Language and Literature

Total number of students graduated under this category 60

English Language and Literature

Undergraduate Certificate 60 students

Health Professions

Total number of students graduated under this category 39

Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

Undergraduate Certificate 39 students

Outcome

Graduation Rate

Out of 158 students who enrolled in 2018 and after, 47 students graduated within the normal graduation time of their respective program and 112 students graduated late (within 150% of the normal time it takes to graduate).

70.9%

Dropout Rate

Out of 158 students who enrolled in 2018 and after, 34 students dropped out of the school.

21.5%

Transferred Out

Out of 158 students who enrolled in 2018 and after, 11 students transferred out of the school.

7.0%

Still Enrolled

From the cohort of 2018, as of August 31, 2021, 1 students are still enrolled in the school.

0.6%

Students Population

Gender Diversity

Moderate

Based on the 2021-2022 data, the undergraduate student population at Columbia Institute is greatly skewed towards women students, with 67.7% of undergraduate students being women and 32.3% being men. The total number of full-time, first-year undergraduate students is 62, with 42 women and 20 men.

  • men 32.3% 20 students
  • women 67.7% 42 students

Students Age Diversity

  • 50-64 31% 18 students
  • 35-39 24% 14 students
  • 40-49 20% 12 students
  • 30-34 14% 8 students
  • 25-29 7% 4 students
  • 20-21 3% 2 students
  • 22-24 2% 1 students

Miscellaneous

Service Offerings

Columbia Institute provides the following additional services to its students
  • Academic/career counseling services
  • Employment services for students

Educational Offerings

Columbia Institute offers educational programs in the following categories. Check the programs page to learn more about specific programs that you are interested in.
  • Academic
  • Occupational