Columbia College vs Ringling College of Art and Design

Columbia College Chicago and Ringling College of Art and Design, two esteemed institutions renowned for their arts-focused education, present prospective students with distinct academic experiences. Columbia, situated in the heart of Chicago's vibrant cultural scene, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of programs in the arts, media, and communication. In contrast, Ringling, nestled in the picturesque town of Sarasota, Florida, specializes in visual and performing arts, offering a more intimate learning environment. While both colleges share a commitment to artistic excellence, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Columbia College Chicago	Ringling College of Art and Design
Overview
Location	Chicago, Illinois	Sarasota, Florida
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
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%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	95.6%	68.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60	$70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	7,218	2,117
Total number of admissions given out	6,903	1,455
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,696	401
Yield rate	24.6%	27.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$48,698	$74,563
Average net price	$25,262	$51,318
Tuition	$26,610	$46,600
Room & board	$16,456	Room/dormitory: $9,260 Meal plan: $6,740
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $20,992	97.0% Average amount $15,756
Students receiving federal student loan	94.0% Average amount $6,068	57.0% Average amount $5,391
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $19,315	12.0% Average amount $35,044

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,493 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	1,663 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Graduate students	243 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	46.1%	N/A
International students	4.0%	20.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,158	1,272
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	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Communication and Journalism English Language and Literature Business	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.9%	80.5%
Dropout rate	48.5%	19.5%
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	Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,528 Year 2: $48,725 Year 3: $57,463 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,371 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $32,078 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,460 Year 2: $19,592 Year 3: $21,539 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,707 Year 2: $14,627 Year 3: N/A Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

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Columbia College

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