Columbia College Acceptance Rate
Columbia, South Carolina · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 2,163
- Admitted
- 2,072
- Yield
- 9.8%
- Test policy
- Test-blind
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Columbia College's acceptance rate has risen from 79% in 2014–15 to 95.8% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 420 to 2,163 (+415%) over that period.
Its 95.8% rate makes Columbia College more selective than about 8% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 31 tracked South Carolina schools, it is more selective than about 10%.
Columbia College has been test-blind (scores not considered) since 2023–24. Of admitted students, 9.8% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 420 | 332 | 79% | 136 |
| 2015–16 | 515 | 459 | 89.1% | 185 |
| 2016–17 | 526 | 458 | 87.1% | 146 |
| 2017–18 | 880 | 764 | 86.8% | 160 |
| 2018–19 | 877 | 841 | 95.9% | 161 |
| 2019–20 | 817 | 789 | 96.6% | 176 |
| 2020–21 | 786 | 763 | 97.1% | 132 |
| 2021–22 | 1,278 | 1,260 | 98.6% | 210 |
| 2022–23 | 2,176 | 2,135 | 98.1% | 190 |
| 2023–24 | 2,163 | 2,072 | 95.8% | 204 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,601 | 1,544 | 96.4% |
| Men | 522 | 497 | 95.2% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-blind (not considered).
How Columbia College compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Columbia College's acceptance rate?
Columbia College's acceptance rate is 95.8% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (2,072 admitted of 2,163 applicants).
Is Columbia College test optional?
Columbia College is test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not considered in admission.
How many people apply to Columbia College?
Columbia College received 2,163 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 2,072.
Is Columbia College getting harder to get into?
Columbia College has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 79% in 2014–15 to 95.8% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.columbiasc.edu/.