10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$143,150at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Columbus State University
Columbus, GA · 38 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 36 · Federal debt reported for 24
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$143,150 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
26.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−62%Estimated return after 10 years
$53,931Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $10,900 housing and food allowance plus $6,312 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$90,690
$8,000Annual price−$122,690
$13,000Current college-wide context−$142,690
$16,000Annual price−$154,690
$24,000Annual price−$186,690
$32,000Annual price−$218,690
$40,000Annual price−$250,690
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
460 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Georgia run 4% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$13,115Average net price / year
$21,676Cost of attendance
$26,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$276/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$53,931Median earnings · year 5 after completion
41.8%Completion rate
99.1%Admission rate
977Average SAT score
21ACT midpoint
5,625Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Columbus State University
What does Columbus State University cost?
Columbus State University reports an average annual net price of $13,115 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Columbus State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $53,931 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Columbus State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $26,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Columbus State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 38 field-and-degree records for Columbus State University; 36 report year-4 earnings and 24 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
9,352Students enrolled at any point
7,138Undergraduate students
2,214Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
43% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
531 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
36% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$42,057Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$47,085Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$49,076Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income30%
Middle income41%
Higher income50%
Undergraduate student composition
White42%
Black37%
Hispanic9%
Asian2%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Computer Programming.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$84,323Year 1
$118,711Year 5
$106,769Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$63,662Year 1
$82,426Year 5
$105,162Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$55,464Year 1
$86,507Year 5
$102,295Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$30,570Year 1
$52,165Year 5
$85,664Year 10
Anthropology.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 45
$49,627Year 1
$77,674Year 5
$83,297Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$71,379Year 1
$79,965Year 5
$82,185Year 10
Outdoor Education.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 31
$28,654Year 1
$56,563Year 5
$74,301Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$42,505Year 1
$57,636Year 5
$74,215Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$44,821Year 1
$60,912Year 4
$53,931Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$119,3972Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$111,9443Education, Other · Doctoral Degree$107,8014Criminal Justice and Corrections · Master's Degree$94,2675Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other · Master's Degree$91,0696Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$89,6597Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$85,5808Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$80,694Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's Degree · $94,267 reported+41%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Education, OtherDoctoral Degree · $107,801 reported+19%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Criminal Justice and CorrectionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $65,062 reported+13%vs same-degree national median$12,833federal debt4Social Sciences, OtherMaster's Degree · $67,595 reported+5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's Degree · $62,834 reported+5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree · $74,854 reported+4%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in GA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Carrollton, GA
University of West Georgia
- Annual net price
- $12,786
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,160
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -65%
Middle Georgia State University
- Annual net price
- $12,361
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,952
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -65%
Georgia Southwestern State University
- Annual net price
- $12,019
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,128
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -56%
Georgia Gwinnett College
- Annual net price
- $15,844
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,716
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -68%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 38 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $119,397 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $111,944 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, Other | Doctoral Degree | $107,801 | Not available | 21 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $94,267 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Master's Degree | $91,069 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $89,659 | $30,980 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $85,580 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $80,694 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $78,778 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $74,854 | Not available | 6 |
| Social Sciences, Other | Master's Degree | $67,595 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $65,380 | $25,488 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $65,062 | $12,833 | 52 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $63,514 | $26,751 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $63,482 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $62,834 | Not available | 0 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $61,389 | $26,500 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $57,008 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $54,549 | Not available | 0 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $53,246 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $52,588 | $28,500 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $50,864 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $49,956 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $49,912 | $30,500 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $49,673 | $30,722 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $48,499 | $29,500 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $48,125 | $28,040 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $47,819 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $46,723 | $30,977 | 0 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,997 | $28,508 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $44,506 | $38,400 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $42,316 | $29,114 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $41,266 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $35,560 | $30,430 | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $34,931 | $25,802 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $18,218 | $27,000 | 3 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | Not available | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,776 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.