Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, Alabama · Private, for-profit

All 27 assessed programs leave graduates out-earning a typical Alabama high-school graduate (about $32,204/yr). Another 30 could not be assessed.

What would this cost you?

My family earns and I expect to take

Family income	Net price per year
Under $30k	$12,913
$30k to $48k	$13,455
$48k to $75k	$15,569
$75k to $110k	$16,226
$110k and up	$17,408
All families (average)	$14,580

Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, by family income (College Scorecard). It reflects students who received federal aid.

Program earnings vs a high-school graduate

27 of 57 programs could be assessed 47% have an earnings verdict

Programs by earnings versus a typical Alabama high-school graduate.
Program	Degree	Median earnings	vs a high-school grad	Verdict	Median debt	Years to repay	Recent completers
Business Administration	Master's Degree	$79,103	+$46,899	clears the bar	$39,043	0.8 yrs	1,009
Business Administration	Bachelor's Degree	$69,343	+$37,139	clears the bar	$23,998	0.6 yrs	695
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Bachelor's Degree	$94,480	+$62,276	clears the bar	$23,425	0.4 yrs	547
Fire Protection	Bachelor's Degree	$88,735	+$56,531	clears the bar	$20,895	0.4 yrs	485
Fire Protection	Associate's Degree	$88,114	+$55,910	clears the bar	$9,500	0.2 yrs	405
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Master's Degree	$99,847	+$67,643	clears the bar	$32,386	0.5 yrs	374
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	$87,340	+$55,136	clears the bar	$13,910	0.3 yrs	283
Criminal Justice	Bachelor's Degree	$70,354	+$38,150	clears the bar	$20,209	0.5 yrs	245
Business Administration	Associate's Degree	$61,433	+$29,229	clears the bar	$16,640	0.6 yrs	224
Healthcare Administration	Bachelor's Degree	$61,821	+$29,617	clears the bar	$23,621	0.8 yrs	158
Public Administration	Master's Degree	$74,452	+$42,248	clears the bar	$40,144	1.0 yrs	143
Homeland Security	Master's Degree	$93,851	+$61,647	clears the bar	$37,075	0.6 yrs	138
Criminal Justice	Associate's Degree	$66,000	+$33,796	clears the bar	$12,140	0.4 yrs	130
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Associate's Degree	$62,009	+$29,805	clears the bar	$16,266	0.5 yrs	129
Human Resources	Bachelor's Degree	$62,061	+$29,857	clears the bar	$21,862	0.7 yrs	120
Mental Health and Counseling Services	Bachelor's Degree	$49,618	+$17,414	clears the bar	$25,000	1.4 yrs	95
Computer and Information Science	Bachelor's Degree	$63,248	+$31,044	clears the bar	$23,491	0.8 yrs	85
Public Health	Master's Degree	$66,208	+$34,004	clears the bar	$39,955	1.2 yrs	84
IT Administration and Management	Bachelor's Degree	$77,738	+$45,534	clears the bar	$19,843	0.4 yrs	70
Criminal Justice	Master's Degree	$64,135	+$31,931	clears the bar	$39,585	1.2 yrs	69
Homeland Security	Bachelor's Degree	$73,703	+$41,499	clears the bar	$21,628	0.5 yrs	69
Natural Resources and Conservation	Bachelor's Degree	$81,292	+$49,088	clears the bar	$22,078	0.4 yrs	62
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Bachelor's Degree	$95,774	+$63,570	clears the bar	$20,057	0.3 yrs	60
Healthcare Administration	Associate's Degree	$40,382	+$8,178	clears the bar	$15,886	1.9 yrs	52
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$84,636	+$52,432	clears the bar	$15,879	0.3 yrs	31
Business Administration	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$89,203	+$56,999	clears the bar	$25,428	0.4 yrs	19
Natural Resources and Conservation	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$78,159	+$45,955	clears the bar	$25,856	0.6 yrs	16
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	53
Business Administration	Doctoral Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	29
Fire Protection	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	28
Human Resources	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	14
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Public Administration	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Human Resources	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
IT Administration and Management	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	8
Homeland Security	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Business Administration	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	5
Healthcare Administration	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Mental Health and Counseling Services	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Computer and Information Science	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Marketing	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Natural Resources and Conservation	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Kinesiology and Physical Education	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Finance	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Marketing	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Finance	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Hospitality Management	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Natural Resources and Conservation	Post-baccalaureate Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Computer and Information Science	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	Post-baccalaureate Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Fire Protection	Graduate/Professional Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Fire Protection	Master's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Homeland Security	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Healthcare Administration	Post-baccalaureate Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Business Administration	Post-baccalaureate Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Human Resources	Post-baccalaureate Certificate	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
International Business	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians measured four years after completion, compared with the state high-school-graduate benchmark ($32,204/yr). Debt is federal loans only. Suppressed values are shown as insufficient data, never imputed. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise.