Columbia College Chicago Acceptance Rate
Chicago, Illinois · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 7,873
- Admitted
- 7,178
- Yield
- 22.4%
- 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 Chicago's acceptance rate has risen from 88.5% in 2014–15 to 91.2% in 2023–24. Applications fell from 8,325 to 7,873 (-5%) over that period.
Its 91.2% rate makes Columbia College Chicago more selective than about 18% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 50 tracked Illinois schools, it is more selective than about 10%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (93.1% for women vs 87.9% for men, a 5.2-point gap). Columbia College Chicago has been test-blind (scores not considered) since 2022–23. Of admitted students, 22.4% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 8,325 | 7,370 | 88.5% | 1,820 |
| 2015–16 | 8,391 | 7,389 | 88.1% | 1,805 |
| 2016–17 | 8,324 | 7,330 | 88.1% | 1,555 |
| 2017–18 | 8,121 | 7,440 | 91.6% | 1,443 |
| 2018–19 | 8,121 | 7,045 | 86.8% | 1,306 |
| 2019–20 | 7,430 | 6,703 | 90.2% | 1,748 |
| 2020–21 | 8,061 | 7,217 | 89.5% | 1,826 |
| 2021–22 | 7,218 | 6,903 | 95.6% | 1,696 |
| 2022–23 | 7,701 | 7,298 | 94.8% | 1,606 |
| 2023–24 | 7,873 | 7,178 | 91.2% | 1,608 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 4,965 | 4,621 | 93.1% |
| Men | 2,908 | 2,557 | 87.9% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-blind (not considered).
How Columbia College Chicago 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 Chicago's acceptance rate?
Columbia College Chicago's acceptance rate is 91.2% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (7,178 admitted of 7,873 applicants).
Is Columbia College Chicago test optional?
Columbia College Chicago is test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not considered in admission.
How many people apply to Columbia College Chicago?
Columbia College Chicago received 7,873 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 7,178.
Is Columbia College Chicago getting harder to get into?
Columbia College Chicago has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 88.5% in 2014–15 to 91.2% 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.colum.edu/.