With more than 120 academic programs and nearly 11,000 students, Columbia College Chicago is the largest and most diverse private arts and media college in the nation. Because of our size, we can offer an unparalleled array of courses with exceptional technological resources in the heart of one of America's greatest cities.
The city is our laboratory. We live in 16 buildings that sit in the heart of Chicago's South Loop, home to the Chicago Symphony, the Art Institute, and the Museum Campus. (Chicago is also home to nine independent film festivals; 200 theatre groups and venues; more than 35 radio stations; and more than 25 magazines and newspapers.) Chicago inspires and instructs: Students gain real-world experience through internships and part-time jobs in the city.
Columbia College Chicago is the largest arts and communications college in the United States. Founded in 1890, the school is located in the South Loop of Chicago. The most popular academic programs include Film and Video, Arts and Entertainment Management, Design, Journalism, and Photography. The college has performing arts programs including Theater, Dance, and Music. Columbia also specializes in disciplines such as American Sign Language, Fiction Writing, Poetry, Television and Radio. The college offers a complete liberal arts and sciences education by offering courses in math, science, social science, and history as well as several humanities.
Columbia has a nontraditional campus located in the South Loop of Chicago. Columbia's campus is composed of many buildings that were built in the early parts of the 20th century and were bought by the school as they expanded. Each building contains more than one academic department.
Located at 600 S. Michigan Avenue, Columbia College's Main Building was built in 1906-1907 by Christian A. Eckstorm, an architect popular for his industrial and warehouse designs, to serve as the headquarters of the International Harvester Company. 600 S. Michigan was a modern skyscraper of its era, built with a steel skeleton, high-speed elevators, electric light, the most advanced mechanical systems available and a floor plan designed to maximize natural light for all of its interior office spaces.The 15-story brick-clad building with classical stone detailing has an Art Deco lobby that retains much of its original marble. In 1937 the building was purchased by the Fairbanks-Morse Company, makers of railroad engines, farm equipment and hydraulic systems. It was acquired by Columbia College in 1974. In its early years as the home of Columbia, it was adaptively reused to house classrooms, the library, darkrooms, studios, and an auditorium. When the campus expanded through the acquisition of other buildings, especially after 1990, some of these functions, such as the greatly expanded library, were moved to other locations, and the spaces were again adapted for new uses. The building continues to serve as the administrative center of the college, and houses the Museum of Contemporary Photography on its first two floors, along with the 180-seat Ferguson Memorial Theater, photography darkrooms, two professional television studios, film/video editing facilities, and classrooms.
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 21% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 16,018 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 15,588 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 430 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,964 | 32% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,837 | 32% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 1,402 | 23% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 3,072 | 57% | |
Any Aid: |
79% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 100% (Open Admissions) |
| Application Fee: | $ 35.00 |
College Advice
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14 months ago
Best Answer
She doesn't mean Columbia in NYC. Columbia College Chicago is not particularly competitive. It is listed as "noncompetitive" by the Collegeboard. The ACT and SAT scores of the students here are about average. A 1500 SAT or a 21 ACT. 95% of applicants are admitted.
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Anyone here ever went there, or currently attend? If so, what is your opinion of the school?
14 months ago
Best Answer
My friend goes there, and let me tell you his qualifications: We graduated from what is considered to be one of the worst public schools in Oakland County, Michigan, he applied at the last minute, and had probably around a 3.5, maybe higher, but not a 4 point. He is a poetry major, and was published once or twice among youth poets, so he's decent at his craft, but outside of his portfolio he wasn't the most stellar student. It depends a lot on what you are going into as well, for example the photography department is probably harder to get into since they are one of the best photography departments in the midwest, if not the country. However, based on my friend, I would say that if you're decent at whatever you are going into (Unless it's just, for example, a lit major or something, which in that case you probably should've done good in an AP Lit class.), and were a decent student in general in high school, you're probably fine. And don't forget your letter of recommendation. ;) Hope that helps!
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Question:
I want to transfer from community college to Columbia College Chicago after 1 semester...?
Is that possible and how does financial aid transfer from school to school?
15 months ago
Best Answer
You probably won't have a good shot at transfering after 1 semester. You best bet would be after 3 semesters- after the fall semester of your 2nd year. So basically you would enter during the spring of your sophmore year- that way you beat out all the people trying to transfer in as juniors and the admissions commitee feel like they have more of a leg up on how you do academically. A semester of good work could just be a fluke right? - but 3 semesters gives them more of an approtunity to see if you have an upward, downward, or steady curve. Basically financial aid is easy- you go to the online FAFSA site and add a school. Columbia's fin aid will get back to you after about 2 weeks. If you got scholarships at the comm college those won't follow.
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Question:
Columbia college in chicago.?
Did anyone here go there? If so, what's a normal gpa that gets into there? = [ ive got a 2.1 as of now and im a junior, but if i have a good portfolio, could i get in?
16 months ago
Best Answer
I am a Columbia College senior and I had a 3.5 GPA, but I was also a transfer student. Regardless, Columbia has an open enrollment policy, which means they accept pretty much anybody that wants to attend and can afford it. The acceptance rate is something like 98%. They won't discriminate against you because of low grades or GPA. They will be more concerned with your portfolio - it makes sense since it is an art school after all.
There is an ongoing debate at the school about whether to change the acceptance policy, but as far as I know it is the same. If Columbia is where you want to go, then more than likely you will get accepted. Good Luck!
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18 months ago
Best Answer
I've been at Columbia for fashion and retail management for 2 semesters. I started at International Academy of Design & Technology doing fashion design. I changed my major cuz I wanted to be more on the business side and I was getting frustrated with IADT cuz they are not organized but the teachers I had there were pretty good.
Anyway, back to columbia, the school is OKAY but it's not as good as I was expecting. They do offer some classes that are hard to find else where like Fashion Styling and Fashion Journalism, but when I compared their curriculum to other schools around the country they really don't compare. What I don't like about columbia is the TEACHERS. They talk down to the students a lot. They treat us like we're still in elementry school(Some of them) rather than talking to us like adults. Also, the homework load they give out is VERY heavy. I spend about 30 hours a week doing homework a lot of times. Some classes I think are kind of dumb and unnecessary, like when I took retail management. I was expecting to like it, but I didn't. A lot of times I really wonder why I'm there. You may want to look into the Illinois Institute of Art. I visited there and I loved it but I decided on Columbia because I was always hearing people talking about it and I thought the school had a really good reputation. I sometimes regret it because I think I would have had a better experience there it's just that I've only got 2 semesters left so it would be pointless to transfer. If you do choose Columbia, watch out for the class "fashion product evaluation" that class is the reason I spend 30 hours a week doing homework! (but it's required). Also, I'd say check out Dominican University, it's in the north suburbs somewhere but they do offer fashion design and merchandising. They may have a good program. There's also a couple of Community Colleges in the suburbs that offer associate's degrees in Fashion
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I was reading the admissions application for Columbia College, Chicago and it said to list all the colleges/universities Ive have attended since high school. Is that just to see what Ive done or do I need to attend another college to get into this one?
21 months ago
Best Answer
no, they just want to know if you've taken any classes at other colleges that may be able to transfer credits to this one. its not a requirement. this way they can ask the other colleges for transcripts, and you dont have to take the same class again.
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They aren't spesfically called "conservatory" anywhere, but they are both "schools for the arts" so does that mean that they don't offer general ed classes?
22 months ago
Best Answer
Columbia College in Chicago is a college, offering both bachelor's and masters degrees. Columbia offers both BFA and BA programs. Cornish also offers a bachelor's degree as well, they have BFA programs. The differences between a BFA and a BA program are going to be in the amount of general ed courses required for degree completion. If you're certain that you're wanting to pursue a performance career, then you might want to look at a BFA program, if not, or think you might want to teach, then a BA program might be a better option.
Check out this link...http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php It's a great resource for prospective college students. You'll also want a copy of the current Fiske guide to colleges. Good luck. My daughter's a junior in HS, wanting to be a theater major, so I know what you're about to go through.
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Question:
Is Columbia College Chicago legit for getting into the field of postproduction film making?
I am planning to attend there after high school, but I am scared that I will not be able to find a job after I graduate due to the fierce competition for those kinds of jobs. I would like to do video/film editing. Are there a lot of internships for those? I know they say they have internships, but I would like to see if anyone out there that has graduated or is attending right now has a job in their intended field of study.
22 months ago
Best Answer
According to US News and World Reports, it is a fourth tier regional school (that is the lowest level possible) that is not very selective.
Your instincts that you may not be able to get a good job after graduation are good. There are lots of colleges with better film schools, and it is likely that you can get into a better one.
Princeton Review has a tool that asks you a series of questions about what you want to do and about your background. Then it suggests several schools for you. You may want to look there for better schools.
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Question:
Columbia College Chicago Dance?
I would like to know about Columbia, as I am very interested in this school. I would be going in as a sophmore with general classes. Do they have a strong dance department? Is is very modern,and could I take extra ballet classes. I have taken lots of modern, but I am definatly a "ballerina" as I have done ballet all my life. Anything about this school would be much appreciated! Thanks!
23 months ago
Best Answer
It's a great school. I just went to their open house and their opening had their one of their dance groups perform and it was amazing! It's a really good school because you won't have to wait til your 2nd or 3rd year to start dancing, you get to start your 1st year! Also, your Gen-Ed classed will be incorporated into your major so dancing is always your focus. Plus, their dorms are really nice (apartment style! lol)
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I'm currently attending community college in california with hopes to transfer to Columbia College in Chicago to pursue music and photography. I went on the site and wasn't sure what the lower division classes required were. Can some one let me know? and if any of you go there, is it worth it to go? thanks
25 months ago
Best Answer
I went there and it is a fantastic school. They have an open admissions policy, last I heard. As long as you have a high school degree, you should be able to get in.
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I attend Columbia College in Chicago and am going to be getting a Film and Video undergraduate degree next year. My question is what kind of jobs can I get with this? I am currently a screenwriter planning to move to LA, but feel a bit upset when I read all these posters who claim you can't get a good job now without a Master's. But I really don't want to get a Master's Degree in film right away- I want to just go into my field and start working. I don't think being a screenwriter and actor require me to have all these extra degrees, but apparently to certain posters I've read on here, you have to. Here I thought a Bachelor's Degree was enough, but sadly it isn't? And even in my field?
28 months ago
Best Answer
Getting work as a screenwriter will take lots of initiative, long hours, persistence, connections, and experience. A Master's Degree is beside the point - it may or may not help, but just getting/having another degree won't replace those other five things. Working in the film/television/video industries is what is going to get you more work in those industries, regardless of what degree you have. The reason getting another degree helps is because it allows the person the focused time and controlled environment for getting more writing credits on projects (often student projects), contacts in the industry (through educators, institution-provided events/experiences, and fellow students), and work experience.
You'll need to figure out the best way FOR YOU to get the experience and contacts you'll need to work in this field - there are a number of ways of doing that and plenty of people who don't have even Bachelor's Degrees working happily in this industry. There are schools that can provide significant contacts and experience, but they are expensive. Some can even come close to guaranteeing that you will work in the industry, but you will pay dearly for those promises.
The bottom line is that you need those five things stated above - a Master's program might provide them, but you would have to be absolutely sure of that to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, your Bachelor's is enough for now and you can get those things in other ways.
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