Columbia College Chicago

Who We Are

Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit 4-year college offering Bachelor and Master degree programs. Our distinctive curriculum blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 7,500 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens.

Programs of Study

We offer more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Our top five undergraduate programs are:

• Cinema Art and Science (film)
• Interactive Arts Management
• Performing Arts
• Graphic Design
• Business and Entrepreneurship

Why You Should Choose Columbia College Chicago

We’ve developed an extensive community of some of the world’s leading artists, communicators and entrepreneurs—faculty, alumni and employers who offer students unparalleled insight and meaningful professional experience. Combine that with our challenging curriculum, state-of-the-art facilities, prime location in the heart of Chicago and inclusive learning community, and Columbia’s value is simply unmatched.

Who You Are

Columbia students are creators, artists and performers. At Columbia, you will collaborate with our diverse, welcoming community to create meaningful work. You will experiment, explore, take creative risks and ask tough questions. As a student, you will gain hands-on experience in your field of choice and develop a portfolio of work that will help you launch a successful career doing what you love.

Welcome to Chicago

Our campus is centrally located in downtown Chicago, the third-biggest city in the United States. You will live and learn near world-class arts and media offerings, including:

• Museums
• Television and radio stations
• Theaters
• Sports organizations
• Advertising and public relations agencies
• Studios
• Festivals
• Galleries
• Restaurants

Beautiful Lake Michigan and Millenium Park are just steps away, along with kilometers of beaches and paths. Most importantly, our location in the heart of a global city provides you with access to countless professional, educational and cultural opportunities.

Fantastic Facilities

Whatever you choose to study, we’ve got a space for you to master your creativity. You’ll dive into our state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to exploration in areas such as fabrication, printmaking, design, and film and video production. If you’re a performer, you’ll hone your craft on the stages of our centers dedicated to dance, music and theatre.

Our 35,500-square-foot Media Production Center houses two industry-standard soundstages, a motion-capture studio, a fabrication shop, and spaces for lighting, set-making, directing and animation—pretty much everything you’ll need to thrive in a variety of industries and creative environments.

An Inclusive and Diverse Community

We believe that a community that brings together diverse voices and experiences is fertile ground for new ideas and creative practice. We are committed to making our community welcoming to every student.

We celebrate all gender identities and expressions. We encourage students to express their preferred first name and gender identity on their admission application, and we make every effort to honor these expressions.

Support Services for International Students

Our Global Education office offers support and guidance to students during, throughout and after the application process. Reach us anytime via mail at intladmissions@colum.edu.

The International Student and Scholar Services office  provides support services once you arrive on campus. This office provides a nurturing and supportive living and learning environment for our international student community through advocacy, services, programming and advising.

Apply to Columbia

To apply and view detailed application instructions,visit colum.edu/apply. We admit on a rolling basis, but we encourage students to apply early.

Required Materials

• Online application
• Essay
• Certified educational records
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Letter of Recommendation (optional)
• $100 application fee

Recommended Materials

• Digital portfolio/audition