Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
Columbia College Chicago: Chicago Women's Club Building-Columbia College Chicago Getz Theater Center 2020-0425
Photo: Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

Columbia College Chicago

  • LocationChicago, IL
  • Type and sizePrivate nonprofit · 4-year · 6,529 students
Official website

Columbia College Chicago is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of Columbia College Chicago, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSt. Peter's Church: 0.7 mi1Old Saint Mary's Church: 0.9 mi2Old Saint Patrick's Church: 1.1 mi3Assumption Roman Catholic Church: 1.3 mi4Saint Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church: 1.3 mi5John Paul II Roman Catholic Center: 1.4 mi6Columbia College Chicago (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. St. Peter's Church — 0.7 mi · 110 West Madison Street, Chicago
  2. Old Saint Mary's Church — 0.9 mi · 1500 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago
  3. Old Saint Patrick's Church — 1.1 mi · 180 South Desplaines Street, Chicago
  4. Assumption Roman Catholic Church — 1.3 mi · 323 West Illinois Street, Chicago
  5. Saint Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church — 1.3 mi · 813 West Roosevelt Road
  6. John Paul II Roman Catholic Center — 1.4 mi · 700 South Morgan Street, Chicago

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
58 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.66%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,551

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,344
Total students6,529
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$26,598
Cost of attendance (per year)$51,889
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
52%
First-year retention66%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$42,195
Admission rate89%
Students receiving Pell grants46%

Value index: 31 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Chicago

His Eminence Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago

Formal address: “Your Eminence”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is Columbia College Chicago a Catholic college?
No. Columbia College Chicago is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead.

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

More in Illinois · Illinois rankings