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Is Columbia College Chicago worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Columbia College Chicago, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Columbia College Chicago lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $26,598 in yearly net price and $25,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $42,195. For context, Columbia College Chicago's net price runs about 30% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$29,790
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $6,953 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $28,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$26,598
Median earnings 10 years out
$42,195
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
50%
At Columbia College Chicago, a typical graduate carries about $25,000 in student debt and earns roughly $42,195 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $284 per month, or 8% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
What this means for your family
Columbia College Chicago is a private nonprofit four year school in Chicago, IL. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Hebrew Theological
Skokie, IL
Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $26,861
Private nonprofit 4-year
Wheaton
Wheaton, IL
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $26,975
Private nonprofit 4-year
Illinois Wesleyan
Bloomington, IL
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $28,199
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $28,673
Private nonprofit 4-year
McKendree
Lebanon, IL
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $24,717
Common questions about Columbia College Chicago
The median net price at Columbia College Chicago is $26,598 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Illinois? See the most affordable private colleges in Illinois →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →