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Academics

Columbia College Chicago
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Columbia College Chicago?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

15:1
Student to faculty ratio
21
Average class size
42%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Columbia Chicago has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
100
10-19
546
20-29
386
30-39
81
40-49
36
50-99
21
100+
5

Honors Programs

Columbia College Chicago has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Columbia Chicago's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Columbia College Chicago:

66%
First-year retention rate
42%
4-year grad rate
52%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Columbia College Chicago's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
Fashion/Apparel Design
Graphic Design
Acting
22.4
65.12
107.84
150.56
193.28
236

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Deaf Studies 4
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 1
Business
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 32
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 3
  • Retail Management 1
Communication
  • Journalism 26
  • Radio and Television 22
  • Advertising 14
  • Communication and Media Studies 14
  • Communication, General 14
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 13
  • Photojournalism 7
  • Public Relations/Image Management 7
  • Communication, General 2
  • Communication and Media Studies 2
  • Public Relations/Image Management 1
  • Photojournalism 1
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 110
  • Recording Arts Technology/Technician 11
  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Programming/Programmer, General 8
  • Computer Programming/Programmer, General 1
  • Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design 0
Education
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • Creative Writing 36
  • English Language and Literature, General 5
Foreign Languages
  • Sign Language Interpretation and Translation 9
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 16
Parks
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 0
Physical Sciences
  • Acoustics 51
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 236
  • Fashion/Apparel Design 94
  • Graphic Design 70
  • Acting 58
  • Photography 56
  • Illustration 55
  • Game and Interactive Media Design 45
  • Music Management 39
  • Music, General 35
  • Musical Theatre 31
  • Interior Design 29
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 28
  • Comedy Writing and Performance 26
  • Dance, General 20
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 15
  • Fine and Studio Arts Management 13
  • Music, Other 13
  • Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 11
  • Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General 7
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 5
  • Music Theory and Composition 4
  • Documentary Production 3
  • Music Technology 3
  • Music Management 2
  • Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 2
  • Intermedia/Multimedia 2
  • Music, General 1
  • Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 1
  • Photography 1
  • Graphic Design 1
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 1
  • Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 1
  • Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 0
  • Commercial and Advertising Art 0
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 0
  • Directing and Theatrical Production 0
  • Playwriting and Screenwriting 0
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 0
  • Music Performance, General 0
  • Theatre/Theatre Arts Management 0
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