January 30, 2020
COLUMBIA, SC – JANUARY 30, 2020 - Annually, the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges lists come out to help prospective college students narrow their college search. For 2020, the report evaluated more than 1,600 degree programs among over 1,200 different institutions of higher education, accessing their overall academic quality. This year, Columbia College found themselves on four of those lists: Best Regional University in the South, Best College for Veterans, Best Value School in the Southern Region, and Top Performers on Social Mobility.
Columbia College ranked 54 out of 136 in the Best Regional Universities in the south category. This region consists of 12 states ranging from as far west as Louisiana and as far north as West Virginia. Deciding factors for ranking include categories such as retention and graduation rates, social mobility, faculty resources, and financial resources.
“We’re very happy to hear about our U.S. News and World Report ranking. Here at Columbia College we pride ourselves in having committed faculty and staff that always go the extra mile to meet our student’s needs,” said Columbia College President, Carol A. Moore, Ph.D.
The college was also ranked 32 in the region for Best Colleges for Veterans in the southern regions. In order to be considered for this ranking, the school must be certified for the G.I. Bill®, participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, enroll a minimum of 20 veterans and/or active duty service members, and must be in the top half of its U.S. News ranking category. Columbia College makes a great effort to create a seamless admissions process for veterans and active-duty military members by having a representative on campus to help facilitate and aid in the transition to college.
The third ranking names Columbia College 25 in Best Value Schools in the southern region for 2020. This honor is bestowed upon schools who can keep the cost of attendance down while not affecting the quality of programs offered. Columbia College was one of 59 schools in the southern region that met these requirements.
A new designation for 2020, Top Performers on Social Mobility, ranked Columbia College in the top 10 in the southern region. This designation identifies how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000).
Columbia College is very proud of each of these rankings and honored to be mentioned among the other amazing colleges and universities.
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Media Contact
Erika Dawkins | edawkins@columbiasc.edu | 803-786-3649
About Columbia College
Columbia College was founded in 1854 as Columbia Female College by the Methodist Conference of South Carolina. The College, located on Plain Street, now Hampton, in Columbia, SC, opened to students in October 1859. Columbia College continues to serve as an institution for higher education with approximately 1,200 male and female students in both undergraduate and graduate courses.