Columbus State University

Public · Moderately Selective · GA

Photo: Deutschlandreform (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationGA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads5,625

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate23.2%

6-yr grad rate41.8%

Drop-out rate30.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$6k

Out-of-state tuition$18k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity58.5%

Gender diversity56.8%

International1.3%

Identity—

Overview

Columbus State University sits along the Chattahoochee River on the Georgia-Alabama line, with a downtown riverside campus that puts it directly in Columbus's arts and river district rather than in a traditional suburban quad setting.

Academics

The Schwob School of Music is the university's clearest signature program, well regarded within Georgia's public system, and nursing and education are also established strengths. Ties to nearby Fort Moore bring a real military-affiliated student population into several programs.

Campus & student life

The riverside downtown location is genuinely distinctive — Columbus's whitewater course, the longest urban whitewater run in the world, runs directly past the university's riverfront district, and outdoor river recreation is a real, accessible part of student life here in a way it isn't at most college campuses.

Getting in

Admission is accessible and typical of Georgia's regional public universities, though the Schwob School of Music requires a separate audition process for music majors.

After graduation

Music graduates from Schwob place into performance, education, and arts-administration careers with real regional reputation, while nursing and education graduates place steadily across the Columbus and Fort Moore area.

Worth knowing

The downtown riverfront setting and adjacent whitewater course are genuine, unusual assets — few universities anywhere offer direct access to urban whitewater rafting and kayaking as a routine part of campus life.

columbusstate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate99.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 800–1060 · ACT 16–22

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying