Columbia College vs Principia College

Columbia College Chicago and Principia College, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand ready to shape your academic journey. Columbia, an urban oasis in the heart of Chicago, boasts a diverse student body and an acceptance rate of 85%, while Principia, nestled in the serene environs of Elsah, Illinois, maintains a selective admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 65%. Explore their contrasting strengths: Columbia's focus on the arts, media, and communication, reflected in its popular majors like Cinema and Television Arts, and Principia's emphasis on liberal arts and sciences, evident in its sought-after programs in Biology and Business Administration. Delve into the comparison table to uncover further distinctions, including student demographics, graduation rates, and more, and discover the institution that best aligns with your aspirations.
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Principia College logo

Principia College

Overview

Location Chicago, Illinois Elsah, Illinois
Campus setting City: Large Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 62.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 95.6% 84.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
SAT range N/A 1028 - 1193
ACT range N/A 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0%
Total number of applicants 7,218 138
Total number of admissions given out 6,903 116
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,696 79
Yield rate 24.6% 68.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,698 $42,820
Average net price $25,262 $19,816
Tuition $26,610 $29,970
Room & board $16,456
Room/dormitory: $5,810

Meal plan: $6,460
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $20,992
94.0%
Average amount $25,174
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $6,068
0.0%
Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $19,315
94.0%
Average amount $2,016

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,493
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
321
Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students 243
Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 46.1% 92.7%
International students 4.0% 24.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,158 585
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Ohio Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Communication and Journalism
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.9% 85.9%
Dropout rate 48.5% 14.1%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,418
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $48,304
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,500
  • Year 2: $36,124
  • Year 3: $46,919
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,614
  • Year 2: $41,789
  • Year 3: $41,739
Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,521
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $41,719
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,175
  • Year 2: $40,355
  • Year 3: $41,194
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,857
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $40,498
American Sign Language (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,692
  • Year 2: $35,330
  • Year 3: $38,260
Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,841
  • Year 2: $30,635
  • Year 3: $37,241
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,669
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $37,111
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,065
  • Year 2: $29,737
  • Year 3: $36,271
N/A