+17%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at Columbia Southern University rose 17% between 2021 and 2024 ($5.8k → $6.8k).
Alabama · Private for-profit · Predominantly bachelor's
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, Alabama. 13,053 undergraduate students. 57 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
What the data flags at Columbia Southern University
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-100%
3-year cohort default rate
3-year cohort default rate at Columbia Southern University fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (2.1% → 0.0%).
+17%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at Columbia Southern University rose 17% between 2021 and 2024 ($5.8k → $6.8k).
+14%
Median federal debt at exit
Median federal debt at exit at Columbia Southern University rose 14% between 2017 and 2020 ($18.8k → $21.3k).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
The numbers, vs. Alabama
Each tile compares this institution to the Alabama median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$63,534+15% · 6→10y
Alabama median $39,017$55,140
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry37.2%-25% · '08→'24
Alabama median 43.4%$13,980+165% · '08→'20
At program completion13,053+77% · '08→'24
latest IPEDS58.8%+13% · '08→'24
first-time, full-time—
latest cohort$5,808+38% · '11→'24
out-of-state $5,808SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
2.9%Median federal debt $13,980 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $63,534 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Ten-plus year arc
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
-25%
Columbia Southern University · completion · 150% fell
44.4% → 33.3%
-45%
Columbia Southern University · completion · 100% fell
44.4% → 24.4%
+13%
Columbia Southern University · retention rose
62.8% → 71.0%
+77%
Columbia Southern University · undergrad enrollment rose
6,863 → 12,176
+38%
Columbia Southern University · in-state tuition rose
$4,895 → $6,760
+38%
Columbia Southern University · out-of-state tuition rose
$4,895 → $6,760
+165%
Columbia Southern University · median debt rose
$8,050 → $21,339
-100%
Columbia Southern University · cohort default rate fell
8.6% → 0.0%
+484%
Columbia Southern University · pell share rose
0.0% → 24.2%
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.$94,061Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.$91,754Fire Protection.$87,912Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.$85,911Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.$84,183Homeland Security.$83,721Computer and Information Sciences, General.$82,769Natural Resources Conservation and Research.$80,703Fire Protection.$80,640Public Administration.$80,102Business Administration, Management and Operations.$78,497Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.$77,603Business Administration, Management and Operations.$75,617Natural Resources Conservation and Research.$74,518Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.$66,199Business Administration, Management and Operations.$63,635Criminal Justice and Corrections.$62,524Criminal Justice and Corrections.$62,396Criminal Justice and Corrections.$61,453Health and Medical Administrative Services.$60,480Human Resources Management and Services.$59,483Human Resources Management and Services.$57,864Business Administration, Management and Operations.$51,885Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions.$44,714
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
24 programs with earnings, grouped
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 15
LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24
HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & SOCIAL SERVICES · CIP 44
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
Business Administration, Management and Operations.$75,617Business Administration, Management and Operations.$63,635Business Administration, Management and Operations.$51,885Human Resources Management and Services.$59,483Human Resources Management and Services.$57,864Business Administration, Management and Operations.$78,497
NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION · CIP 03
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Same sector and degree mix in Alabama
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“Columbia Southern University graduates earn $X” — not “Columbia Southern University makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Columbia Southern University caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.