Skip to content
Best College Rankings

Private nonprofit · Urban campus · verified rankings · federal data

Columbus College of Art & Design

Students comparing Columbus College of Art & Design on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Columbus, Ohio882 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 54Private nonprofitSmall enrollmentUrban campus

The short answer

Columbus College of Art & Design: Niche ranks it #1414 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 882 undergraduates, admits 67.7% of applicants, and posts a 55.6% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $40,825; aid recipients pay $29,439 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $40,664.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
67.7%

Below the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$29,439

44% below the $52,275 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$40,664

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
55.6%

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

Below the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedColumbus College of Art & Design reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where Columbus College ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National universities, liberal arts, regional and specialty listsNot ranked by this source
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.Not ranked by this source
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)#1414of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Columbus College

Columbus College of Art & Design is a private nonprofit institution in Columbus, Ohio. Federal data show 80.3% first-year retention and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $29,439 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $52,275 sticker cost against $29,439 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing Columbus College of Art & Design on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

Tuition & fees
$40,825

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduates on Pell grants
39.2%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardShare of undergraduates, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$11,450

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $52,275 a year, but the average family pays $29,439 — a 44% difference. 39.2% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Columbus College's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    9:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    80.3%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    882

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Columbus College: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $40,825 and on-campus room and board is $11,450, for a published total of $52,275 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $29,439.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 67.7%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

    Similar colleges

    Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

    Saint Ambrose University

    Davenport, IAPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    Saint Ambrose University: U.S. News ranks it #352 on National Universities (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #737 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #917 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3.5 stars. It enrolls 1,916 undergraduates, admits 77.3% of applicants, and posts a 61.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $36,658; aid recipients pay $24,691 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $59,531.

    Acceptance rate
    77.3%
    Average net price
    $24,691
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $59,531
    6-yr graduation rate
    61.0%
    US News · National universities#352 of 436Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#737 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#917 of 2,605+1 more on profile

    1,916 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 55 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    University of Sioux Falls

    Sioux Falls, SDPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    University of Sioux Falls: U.S. News ranks it #82 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #1101 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #946 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 1,218 undergraduates, admits 82.9% of applicants, and posts a 62.9% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $21,750; aid recipients pay $21,383 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $54,521.

    Acceptance rate
    82.9%
    Average net price
    $21,383
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $54,521
    6-yr graduation rate
    62.9%
    US News · Regional univ. (Midwest)#82 of 165Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#1101 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#946 of 2,605

    1,218 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 53 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    Union Adventist University

    Lincoln, NEPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    Union Adventist University: U.S. News ranks it #14 on Regional Colleges (Midwest) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #1250 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #1581 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 471 undergraduates, admits 100.0% of applicants, and posts a 52.3% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $29,334; aid recipients pay $23,716 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $55,045.

    Acceptance rate
    100.0%
    Average net price
    $23,716
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $55,045
    6-yr graduation rate
    52.3%
    US News · Regional colleges (Midwest)#14 of 94Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#1250 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#1581 of 2,605

    471 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 53 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    Compare Columbus College against these