Campus & Student Life at Columbia International University

Home to about 857 undergraduates in 2020, CIU is a small, private university located in Columbia, South Carolina. This urban setting might be best suited for students who like the fast-paced city life. Should you tire of the campus however, CIU offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by CIU can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our CIU Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

CIU Has a Disability Services Site

Individuals with disabilities make up 7.0% of the student population at CIU. For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit CIU Disability Services.

CIU for the Military

While not a "service academy", CIU does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. There is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit CIU Veteran Services . For more information, check out our CIU for Veterans Guide.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at Columbia International University

CIU offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at Columbia International University

CIU has a comparatively small, student body. There were 857 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 589 (68.7%). Part-time attendance was 268 (31.3%).

Columbia International University is Ranked #423 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, CIU receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank CIU #423 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at CIU by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the CIU Diversity Guide.

Columbia International University Competes in the NIAA

We wanted to tell you about student athletes at CIU, but that information was not available.

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Columbia International University Athletics