INFORMATION FOR FRESHMAN APPLICANTS

If you have completed or expect to complete high school, home school, or a GED and will not earn credit* at a college or university before your first day at Columbia, please apply as a freshman student.

*This excludes the following types of college credit: exam-based credits (AP, IB, CLEP), dual enrollment credits, courses taken as part of a summer program for high school students, and/ or any credits earned during the summer immediately following high school graduation or GED completion.

Our Fall 2022 Freshman Class

Columbia welcomed 1,606 freshmen to our campus

They represented 44 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and 22 foreign countries were from the Chicago metro area identified as members of the LGBTQIA+ community were Chicago Public School graduates identified as firstgeneration college students identified as students of color lived in one of Columbia’s four residence halls

Freshman Student Scholarships And Aid

We hope the information on this page gives you a sense of the scope of scholarships and other financial aid available through Columbia, but please know that financial aid packages at any school can depend upon factors that are unique to you and your family. We encourage all students to apply to Columbia, complete the FAFSA, and submit portfolio/audition materials, so that we can prepare the best possible financial aid package for you.

The figures given here are based on freshman students admitted to Columbia for Fall 2023. All scholarship aid is renewed annually provided the student continues to meet the scholarship terms.

96% of students received a scholarship from at least one of the available categories (merit, need, and talent). Complete scholarship packages ranged from $1,000 to $23,000, and the average scholarship per recipient across all scholarship types was $14,774. All scholarship aid is annually renewed provided a student continues to meet the scholarship terms.

90% of students received a scholarship based on academic merit— typically the “Dean’s Scholarship,” but it will sometimes have a different name. Scholarships ranged from $6,000 to $15,000, and the average scholarship per recipient was $11,434.

66% of admitted students (and 100% of students who submitted a FAFSA) received the “Columbia Scholar Award,” a scholarship based on financial need. Scholarships ranged from $1,000 to $17,000, and the average scholarship per recipient was $5,438.

62% of students who submitted a portfolio or audition received the “Faculty Recognition Award,” a talent-based scholarship. Scholarships ranged from $500 to $5,000, and the average scholarship per recipient was $1,380.

Freshman Student Scholarships And Aid

46% of students who submitted a FAFSA were eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. Grants ranged from $767 to $9,395, and the average grant per recipient was $6,285. Pell Grant amounts are set annually by the Department of Education.

64% of Illinois-resident students who submitted a FAFSA or alternative application were eligible for the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. The standard MAP Grant is $8,400, but the amount may be adjusted based on the number of credit hours enrolled. MAP Grant amounts are set annually by the State of Illinois.

94% of students who filled out a FAFSA were eligible to borrow under the Federal Stafford Loan program. Most students were approved to borrow $5,500, but that figure can be adjusted under some circumstances. Stafford Loans can be either subsidized (interest does not accrue while the student is enrolled) or unsubsidized. Loans are always optional and not all students use them.

93% of parents who filled out a FAFSA were eligible to borrow under the Federal PLUS Loan program. The average approval amount was about $30,000, but it is common for parents to borrow less than the approved amount or to not borrow at all. Loans are always optional.

$22,330 was the average student aid package across all types.

Some students may also be approved for the Federal Work Study program. Wages earned through Work Study are paid directly to the student and can be used at the student’s discretion. Work Study approval is not required to work on campus. Any student can apply for any campus job without regard to Work Study status.