Savannah College vs Columbia College

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Columbia College Chicago (Columbia) stand out as two prominent institutions offering a wide range of programs in art, design, and media. While both share a commitment to creative education, they differ in several key aspects. SCAD boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process, while Columbia offers a more diverse student body in terms of ethnicity and gender. SCAD's focus on art and design is reflected in its popular majors, which include animation, graphic design, and illustration, while Columbia's strengths lie in film, television, and music. With higher graduation rates, SCAD ensures that its students successfully complete their programs and enter the creative workforce. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, allowing you to assess which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and career goals.
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Savannah College of Art and Design logo

Savannah College of Art and Design

Overview

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

Admission

Acceptance rate 95.6% 80.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $100

Graduate: $100
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 14,914
Total number of admissions given out 6,903 12,047
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,696 2,685
Yield rate 24.6% 22.3%
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 Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,698 $57,206
Average net price $25,262 $45,163
Tuition $26,610 $38,340
Room & board $16,456
Room/dormitory: $10,752

Meal plan: $4,596
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 $12,662
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $6,068
44.0%
Average amount $5,046
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $19,315
11.0%
Average amount $28,403

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,493
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
12,772
Men 30.8% Women 69.2%
Graduate students 243
Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
2,864
Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 46.1% 79.7%
International students 4.0% 24.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 2,158 5,813
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 Georgia Florida Texas New Jersey New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Communication and Journalism
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Architecture
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Communications Technology
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.9% 71.5%
Dropout rate 48.5% 13.2%
Transferred out N/A 14.5%
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
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,213
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $89,877
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,772
  • Year 2: $56,544
  • Year 3: $60,070
Architectural Sciences and Technology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,166
  • Year 2: $53,894
  • Year 3: $58,292
Apparel and Textiles (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,532
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $50,094
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,934
  • Year 2: $44,817
  • Year 3: $50,056
Historic Preservation and Conservation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,327
  • Year 2: $44,468
  • Year 3: $48,513
Architectural Sciences and Technology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,117
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $48,074
Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,941
  • Year 2: $44,858
  • Year 3: $46,479
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,603
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $44,614
Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,839
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $44,342

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.