40 million dollars in debt and they continue to focus on the student center instead of the students. the tutoring center is often unhelpful and the ruling on absences are absolute bull shit. overpriced and going down the shit hole. they shut down TWO residense halls and now have no housing for returning students. dont waste your money or your time applying here . read more

My daughter is graduating from the BFA film program later this month. She's been very happy with the quality of education at the school: there's a great faculty with a robust didactic program and multiple opportunities for the students to engage to create their own productions. The commitment of the faculty to the education of the students is exemplary. read more

The tour was a huge disappointment to say the least. We flew in from Chicago from Minneapolis to see your school. The facility was nice, but that is where the pleasantries ended. The tour guide, Aiden, was very disappointing. I don't think he could have been more of a let down had he deliberately tried. He spoke about 200 miles per hour, never made any eye contact and even if he did you wouldn't know it from behind his sunglasses. He was dancing around like his pants were on fire and could not be understood with all the metal piercings in his lips. Just to top it all off, if you had a question he couldn't hear you to ask anyway because of the headphones he was wearing. This student employee was literally the face of your university and it could not possibly have been more disappointing. I am a business owner, Aiden is the last person I would put in front of a tour where I'm asking folks for 50K a year. We went to multiple buildings, but I'm not even sure why. We didn't get to tour labs, we didn't get to see actual amenities, we didn't even get to see the actual building my son would be staying in. All we got to do was step into a lobby, watch Aiden dance around like he was at some rave, ramble on incoherently then suddenly turn and run off. We were like "are we supposed to be following him?" We literally received no value in the tour. My son was so excited to see your school and left completely deflated. It was a total disappointment for us both. We put in a lot of effort to fly from one state to another, take time off of work, find a hotel and come to your school for a tour and your firm couldn't even put in the effort to give us a guide that could set his/they're/them's headphones aside for 1 hour. What a waste of time and money. This review will also go on google to protect others from wasting their time and money touring Columbia. read more

The school has a lot of issues. The number one being communication with the students/parents unless they want money. They think every conversation fits in a general box. Zero concern for the students future its all robotic and automated even when speaking to staff. Very sterile environment. To include the staff is atrocious. They are rude and take zero accountability for anything on a corporate level. It's a sham that uses some local art to back , well nothing. The only agenda they cater to is the one that brings in donations and revenue. Private or not that is disgusting. They lack accountability. They do not respond to students in emails and calls about concerns and are not held accountable for unacceptable teaching practices. Sometimes it takes my daughter over 3 weeks for a response. The instructors rely on the contracts to protect them from being held accountable for the lack of knowledge or direction they give students. They wait until the 11th hour to try and respond then blame every process but their own laziness.... 3.5 yrs in and zero talks of internships, employment outlook. Graduation goals. Not learinig a thing and my child is like what did we even pay for????? They are a revolving door with only $$$ on the table. Disgusting. Don't waste your money sending your child to this college. It's not worth a dime. read more

Columbia College has an abundance of resources and experienced professors that have worked in the field you are looking to pursue. It was a great experience for me to attend here for my Bachelors program. I think the tuition due to it being a private school is high for what it offers and that is probably the only downfall. If you are a self disciplined person and you seek out what you want for your college career whether it is in graphics, fine art, journalism, creative writing or independent studies... you will do just fine here. read more

I took online master classes. I would never recommend Columbia College. My professors were non responsive and took over a week to answer emails and correct homework. If you can learn from a text book without interaction from other students or your professor, this is the college for you. If you only want the degree and do not care about actually learning, this is the college for you. BEWARE COLUMBIA COLLEGE IS A WASTE OF MONEY read more

I was a late admission student this year and almost immediately shit hit the fan. The school only sent me the financial summary of tuition if I had taken out federal loans (I hadn't and even said I wouldn't, filling out FASFA is just a graduation requirement at my high school) and you have to go to the financial office to get those taken off your estimate to accurately reflect the balance. And no, they do not include any food, dorming, or other expenses in that initial letter. What they had said would cost us $11,000 a semester was actually over $26,000, a number we did not know until I accepted and signed onto a payment plan. Due to the school's mistreatment of staff causing them to have to strike, as well as the financial office's unwillingness to talk to me, I started trying to drop out of the school. I didn't want credits (I had been out of 80% of my classes for 4 weeks anyways), I didn't want anything from them in terms of compensation, I just wanted to leave. However, no one, not even my advisor, was willing to even talk to me after I expressed interest in that. No one told me there was paperwork, no one helped me settle accounts (we're still struggling to do that now), nothing. No form of help whatsoever. The very few times my advisor actually spoke to me, it was no more than four sentences worth and always blamed the union on me leaving despite my having already explained my reasons. Eventually, I ended up shipping all my stuff home (I'm from out of state), checking out of my dorm, and flying home at the start of Thanksgiving break. Only after I got home was paperwork sent to me (though it wasn't even the right ones) and it took my mother and I both calling every admin in the school registry to find people willing to help us. It took me over two months to drop out academically. Other things that happened there were: - The school taking $5,000 out of my bank account after I left and saying all payment plans were automatic (I still get calls about this) despite having said numerous times earlier in the year they weren't. - My RA didn't even know I lived in my dorm and it ended up having to be two random other RAs that did my exit inspection. - My one full time teacher (aka the only one not in the union) did not teach at all and just brought in guest speakers and had her TAs do everything else. I honestly did not know her name or what she looked like until two weeks before I left. - I lost my meal plan card and wasn't able to eat for three days because of this due to the "office being closed" (it was just the front desk of a building) and when it finally opened, it took them all day to reactivate my card. - There was no communication about anything at all students might need (like setting up a meal plan card, it took me and three others a week to find out how). - For majority of the strike, no one replaced the teachers who were on the picket line, leaving me out of, as I said, 80% of my classes (I have no qualms with the strikers, go unions, they were in the right here) for over four weeks. - They still want me to pay for all of the semester despite me not having been in class for over half of it. The only good thing I will say is the part time teachers I had were all amazing. They were super sweet and really good at their jobs. I do miss having them as my teachers. They were, however, according to one of them, locked out of their school accounts when people were finally brought in and not informed of this. I met a few nice people too and am still in contact with some of them, however I will agree with some of these other reviews mentioning the campus culture is heavily reliant on smoking. It's constant and everywhere, as is drinking. I heavily ask y'all to neither come here or send your kids here. It's utter chaos and seems like a money making scheme almost in the finance department. read more

My daughter went to school here for only 1 year. Their financial aid department was nothing but trouble, and caused our family a large headache and ultimately THOUSANDS of dollars-- not only to pay for school, but for lawyer fees. Please DO NOT support this institution. Thank you. read more

This school genuinely sucks, if I could leave a no-star I would. I began my freshman year two years ago and ever since it's been a downhill spiral. I was excited and proud to go to school here with a BFA in fine arts and a minor in religion and philosophy. Not only has the administration repeatedly lied to us and raised tuition over and over to the point of insanity, they have simultaneously cut majors and courses and underpaid teachers. They spent millions of dollars on the student center, and our very recent ex-president (who was removed due to a strike, from part time faculty, that he could not bring himself to settle on, which went on for a WHOLE semester) had a seven figure salary. They are currently talking about cutting a whole load of core curriculum classes, which is the only part of this school that was actually educational. Okay, say that was fine and this school is just centered on art with no core classes (which is a TERRIBLE idea, so many people in this school have a very poor education which is obviously no one's fault but that is what college is supposed to do!!! teach you and prepare you for life!!!) but the art classes aren't even good! You can't even take a painting one class until your second year, so as a fine arts major I was not doing any painting until met second year, and the "studio class" was actually a bad version of art history which was a pre-rec. We did not do any actual painting in my painting one class. Also, it is impossible to make friends in this school if you do not live in the dorms. There is absolutely no school spirit and no parties. Thankfully I made a bunch of great friends but many people I know struggle to do anything. I have been let down, disappointed, angered, and robbed of so much money and time. I am transferring out next semester. The only good part was some of the teachers I've had who were kind and passionate, but nearly every one of them will most likely be fired with the new cuts and have spoken about how they are scared for Columbia's future. Do not go here. read more

My daughter might be a rare bird, but she graduated summa cum laude from Columbia's creative non fiction program in 2013 and is now earning a very solid six figure income as a marketing professional. The (big name) company that hired her upon graduation was thrilled to get someone capable of thinking outside the box and she was thrilled to prove to her father that she'd be doing more with her degree than waiting tables and writing blog posts. :) Every school has its good points and it's bad ones. Learning to cope, negotiate and deal with them is a real-world lesson in and of itself. read more

Aside from their overpriced tuition, the staff and service in regards to student aid are deplorable. They increased tuition without letting students know. Advisors are never available to help and resources are hard Students for to find. There are good teachers and staff however those who run the school are not keeping up. Students often complain about the resources bong slow or not enough. When it comes to registration there aren't enough Classes for all of the students. which causes many to take an extra year of school. What's the point in charge students more & yet not having resources for students. Columbia also has clinics but staff are vary rude. I went in once because I hurt myself, security sent me there to just be on safe side. But the nurse was very rude She did not want to take me in because I had no appointment. The doctor came & took me in, she was nice and gave me pills to help with pain read more

2014 Alumni of Columbia College Chicago (CCC) here. I received a BA as an interdisciplinary major in Art Design, but had also spent a large sum of my time at the school as a fashion design major. I have mixed feelings about CCC and whether or not I personally would recommend them. I learned a lot from the school and the professors I had during my 4 years there, but it was also incredibly expensive. The vast majority of my teachers were wonderful, but I also had professors who I seriously question why they were hired in the first place. It is worth noting that I have yet to be able to get a job in my field, all these years later. I have had to turn to graduate school at a differently university as well, because CCC dismantled their art education masters program. I am also an alum of their 2012 Semester in LA Costume Design program, and strongly feel I was mistreated by the professor for having learning disabilities. The teacher of the costume design program does not understand the difference between learning disabilities and physical disabilities - she tried comparing my learning capabilities with a former student of hers that was partially blind, to make her argument that if she was able to do it, I can too. The Students with Learning Disabilities office at CCC is amazing, especially Joyce Butts, but unfortunately, many of the professors do not take them or complaints seriously, which I believe was the case for me, and the story mentioned above. Thanks to Columbia, I have a degree and put a lot of debt on my parents and myself. No job yet, and I know of only 2 classmates that have actually sucessfully gotten into the field they majored in. My older brother is a 2012 alumni of the film program they are famous for, but he still hasn't gotten a job either. This is a good school for those who can afford it, and those that already have connections for the field they want to major in. read more

Bottom line: This is a private college and that means it will cost more. However, with the correct planning before attending you can make this school affordable as I have done. Because it's a private school there are more scholarships available. I received the $6,000 a year scholarship for transfer because I came in from a community college with a GPA above 3.0. I worked hard for my grades and applied for as many scholarships I could before attending Columbia. PLAN PLAN PLAN. It's on you because no one else will take care of you. Welcome to being a responsible adult in a world where competition is very high, and you will need to work harder than ever to gain and retain creative jobs. I feel it's very upsetting when students decide to rate this school strictly on price. Our economy is wrong in the first place because an education shouldn't cost this much, but that's not Columbia's fault. Contact your representatives if it upsets you. Every single teacher has been life changing for me and absolutely amazing. Each teacher I have worked with has contributed to my learning and development experience in wonderful ways. Every teacher at Columbia is a professional with amazing "in the field" experience. Many of my teachers are actively working right now in the roles I would someday aspire to also hold. So.... DON'T shoot yourself in the foot with these people because they will most likely play a role in hiring you (it's a small world in the creative field). To gain an education from people like this will cost money. Every working class in my line of study (musical theater) has been like a Rep and Master class= Real work with real experience. Columbia is a great school with tons of student activities. I am set to graduate in May 2017. I took advantage of student meet ups, attending student groups, free food, free concerts and shows, discounts at local restaurants, free gym access, discount tickets, free yoga, and discounts at local yoga studios. I NEED to take advantage of the career center and build a portfolio (I hope to do this in my final semester). But there are so many organizations for students and fun activities. Get involved and get your money's worth because yes it is expensive but Columbia is not the most expensive school by far. With a good solid plan you can make it more affordable. I am a single student that had ZERO help from mom and dad or any family. I was 100% on my own. I knew I couldn't afford Columbia for 4 years so I went to a community college first and worked with the councilor taking transferable classes to meet gen-ed requirements. This is how I made my education more affordable. I worked hard for a high GPA and gained referrals so I could take advantage of scholarships. I only share my story because I read a lot of negative feedback strictly rated around cost. Financial services and the scholarship departments need to become your best friends. read more

Don't send your kids here. I repeat -- DON'T send your kids here. As a recent graduate, I can say that Columbia could easily be the most disorganized college in the country. They lose records, mess up the tuition balance (always in their favor), misplace loans, and don't give two hoots about you. Columbia cares only about your money, and your money only. Most of their professors just teach there so they could pay their bills, not because they're passionate. That results in a lot of half-assed teaching. I spent four years at this "college" (term to be used very, very loosely). I look back on these four years and come to the conclusion that everything I have learned over these years at Columbia, I could have learned during one semester in Film Studies 101 at the local community college. This bears repeating: DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS THERE. read more

Whatever negative thing you have heard about this school; forget it. The amount of passion, creativity, talent and support that I have seen at Columbia is beyond what I ever expected to gain from a college experience. You really do get what you pay for. Columbia is an expensive school, but it's a private art school so it should be expected. Nearly every professor I've had, is an adjunct faculty member. This means... your teacher isn't full of it and just teaching to teach. Your professor is more than likely an industry professional who knows their field and will be a great contact to have after graduation. Not to mention, classes are smaller than a regular high school class size. I don't think I have been in a class with more than 20 students. I've even had classes with as little as 7 people. Actual interaction and discussion can happen because you're not packed like sardines in a lecture hall. Studying journalism, I couldn't fathom going to a university in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to be in a city where it's lively and things are happening. You want a story? Walk outside the building, and you'll find one. Everything is at your fingertips. You should know, this is not a school that will hold your hand. I've seen many students ride by their coattails and not really produce anything spectacular. Columbia has a VERY lax admission policy. I personally feel like if you have the money to pay for it, you can go there. Thriving there is the challenge. Therefore, you get a lot of students who aren't as... inspired, if you will. There are so many resources and professors who are willing to do anything to help you, but you really have to help yourself at this school. Just be prepared to challenge yourself, ask questions and go the extra mile to network. Notice: I love the teachers here. Advising is another story. It's so damn hard to get decent advice (or advice that lines up with what others at Columbia say.) If you want to graduate by a certain time ---- you absolutely need to be aggressive with making sure you meet the requirements. Getting a straight answer of what is needed, what classes to take and what choices to make is very difficult. What I have found to be helpful is finding a trustworthy faculty member to ask when you have any questions about your academic status. Greek life is a no-go, thankfully. It helps eliminate the idea of cliques and over indulgence in adult beverages on campus. There's no sports... maybe a handful of intramural clubs. School spirit is still everywhere despite the lack of conventional college activities. I can't imagine if we did.... I wouldn't be surprised if our mascot were a unicorn, and our school colors a rainbow. One star is missing because sometimes I really wish more prestige came with saying I'm from CCC. It's getting there, but it's just not as well known as it should be. SO many amazing people come from this school. I WISH they would toughen up on their admissions, so it could be taken more seriously. Students here are just as brilliant as any U of Chicago, Northwestern or Loyola student. read more

Yay! I get to slightly rephrase what everyone else has said! Columbia gets 3 stars. I'd love to give them 3.5, but they don't deserve 4. 3 it is. A-OK. Definitely take everyone else's advice about the gen eds. Gen eds at Columbia suck. I supplemented my gen eds with a community college right near my apartment, and everything transferred seamlessly. And they were stupid easy, and saved me thousands of dollars. I did attempt to take a science gen ed at Columbia because I like science. It was the only C grade I ever received at Columbia. And I knew more about chemistry than the professor teaching it. Just saying (fuck you Charles Cannon!). Also, yes, get EVERYTHING in writing. Or print it out and make someone sign it! For the love of god! I studied abroad and had my courses pre-approved before I left. I didn't want to be all off in another country taking classes that wouldn't count for anything. They gave me shit when I came back about every class I took. I pulled out my folder of signed documents and basically told them to go fuck themselves. Had I not gone through the trouble of getting everything in writing, I would have basically wasted 6 months of my life taking classes that wouldn't have helped me. You have to be super demanding because no one there ever really seems to want to help you. If you're not a gigantic bitch from the moment you walk in, you will wind up in a huge stack of paper. Squeaky wheel gets the grease is the rule here. Shame really, because I prefer to be nice. It's so much easier... Financial aid is a fucking joke. Those people are a bunch of morons who WILL mess your account up AT LEAST (and probably more than) once, and they will tell you anything to get you out of there. If they say something will take a month, they mean at least three. And if they say you owe more than you do, the burden of proof is suddenly all up to you. Financial aid stressed me out far more than any class I ever took there. So far this has all been out the bureaucracy of the administration, which utterly, horrifically sucks. You'll wonder how anything ever manages to get done there. Which is the same with pretty much every school (IS there a school with good administration?). So doing it in the way I've described will put you right into the core of your program, probably sooner and with thousands saved. Then you'll be good to go. The teachers are - well, as in all schools - some good, some bad. What you should do is find the ones that have similar ideals, visions, goals, etc. and LATCH ONTO THEM. Take every class they teach. Usurp every grain of knowledge they are willing to share. This will give you predictability in your class selections, a teacher who is familiar with your progress, and someone to write letters of recommendation for you in the future. You'll find at least two, maybe three teachers that really do it for you. And they earn all three stars for the whole school in this review. Throw yourself into your work, use the fantastic facilities, read at the library, meet like-minded kindred spirits, and keep the good teachers close. GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH. I'd say that about any school though. If Columbia is really the place for you, you will go so far if you can dodge the administration, or at least learn to deal with them. Also, about the open admissions thing: don't worry. The stupid people fail or drop out within the first two years. Third and fourth year, you'll be surrounded with intelligent, creative people who will be your friends forever. But if you get the gen eds elsewhere (which is all the first two years are really), this is a moot point because you'll be to that good place right away. Be smart, be practical, and work your ass off and Columbia will give it back in a big way. And Chicago...! I'm glad I went here. There are better, there are worse. For an art school, I feel like I got a great basis of art history and refined my technique. And I swore I wouldn't write more than three paragraphs! Thank you for reading. XOXO read more

Whenever you have an organization that around 12,000 people go to, you'll find a wide range of responses. They're all valid opinions. Having spent four years wonderful years at Columbia, I see plenty of positives and negatives, too. I've found that those with the most complaints have had a series of bad experiences (sometimes not their fault at all, sometimes entirely their fault... often, in-between). I designed my own major and added a minor in American Sign Language. I was vigilant in making sure I was on time with my degree, made tons of contacts at the school, did seven internships, studied abroad, and spent a summer in NYC. I did this all in four years, with only (ha... only) $28,000 in federally-funded college debt. So, I obviously had a good experience, and I know tons of other folks who did, as well. I truly believe that this is a special place, and that if you're willing to work really, really hard, you'll find that it's 100% worth it. I have a lot of pride for this school and am happy to call it my alma mater. Oh, AND I got a job offer that pays a real salary before I even graduated. It can happen! :) That being said, the complaints people have a valid. This school has issues: they grew really, really fast from 1980-2008. When you grow that fast, that are growing pains. I worked hard to help advocate for change at the school instead of sitting back and complaining. read more

Attended Columbia from 2003 to 2008, part time and full time. The Financial Aid Office: Oh god. Horrendous. I'm sure the staff hate their lives, and what better way than to let it all out on individuals who simply want to pay their tuition so they can prepare for their lives. Heh. Admittedly, there's a select few Financial Aid counselors who care beyond their pay check entitlement, so the trick is to figure out who they are and keep their business card for any future troubles or general inquiries. Academics: If you enrolled into Columbia as your first choice, (in no offense) it probably has something to do with their open enrollment. It can mean a lot of things, but from my experience as an Illustration Major, I can say the strength in the education is pretty decent. A lot of the professors have other jobs in relation to what they teach, which can benefit you great come around your final semesters when you've got some networking to establish. I would encourage many of you though, to consider a Community College for any general ed courses. It'll save you a butt load of money for classes that are approved by the State of Illinois, which means it'll transfer over to almost any school in the state. It's a huge cost saver. The departments that shine from my experience is the Photography and Film. I know I said I was an Illustration Major, so don't get me wrong. My concentration was well supported, but nothing like Photography or Film. In my final few semesters, they screwed a lot of folks over because they kept on constantly changing the concentration curriculums. Meaning some classes I didn't need to take at all (that I already did and paid for...) and some that I did which originally wasn't a pre requisite). You can listen to as many students already in enrolled about whether their program of choice sucks or not. But when it comes down to it, the experience you garner will be how you make it to be. Location: Pretty much downtown, with access to almost anything you'll ever need. So long as you get it before the sun sets. You're downtown, so remember that a lot of things close earlier than what you might be used to. Sure, certain late night establishments, mainly pubs and what not, stay open... Housing: Columbia opened up the monstrous thing of a building called the UC. Essentially a huge dorm building that harbors Columbia, DePaul, and some other college students. I've looked at the price sticker, and my god is it expensive. Keep in mind that the point of the UC is to experience the classic university vibe, where you have dorm halls, RA's, dining halls, etc.. It's all good and everything, but when you read the fine line disclaimers that they place upon you - you might feel like you're living in a cell. Ultimately it's up to you on whether you'd like to save up, find some friends, and nail a nice apartment... or stay really close to school downtown so you can find your way to class with only 5 minutes to go while you're in your pj's. Overall, my experience was pretty fair. A lot of good folks, students or staff, but also a new instillation of pretentious high school blokes who come fresh off an Urban Outfitter catalog. Columbia needs to review their enrollment process, as its pretty obvious at this point that they're overcrowding. Tuition is not surprising given it's private affiliation, and the costs of maintaining your supplies can be hefty depending on your concentration. Would I recommend this school to someone I know? Depends on how much money they're willing to splurge, and what they want to study. read more

This is based off of a couple of months, not a whole year or anything. I was totally convinced that Columbia was MY SCHOOL from the time I was a sophomore in high school until about a month and a half after classes started (last year). I'm fairly positive that if I had stuck with acting as my major, I would have had a different experience. But I didn't. I wanted to go into interior design (mistake on my part, I can't draw to save my life. Ha ha). I asked if they had a program there, and I was told they had interior architecture. I then asked about 4 or 5 different people at different times over the course of 3 months what the difference was. Each time I was told there was no difference, just the name. The day of orientation, even, there was a flier passed out with the question "what is the difference between interior design and interior architecture?" and it stated how design was for residential buildings and architecture was for commercial buildings. So I asked before I applied, after I applied, a couple students, the head of the interior architecture department, and someone at the weeks of welcome dealy. So I lied, more than 5 people. Every single one of them told me the exact same thing. The first day of my 2d design class the instructor states "this is not interior design, this is interior architecture. If you are looking to paint walls and choose decor, you are in the wrong program." Two stars because I know people who go here and they LOVE it, but none of them are in the art & design department. Columbia also likes to pitch the exact same story every time - working professionals, innovative thinking, city campus. I now attending one of the city colleges. Guess what? We have a city campus. We have working professionals. Innovative thinking is up to each individual. Don't let their hype fool you, they aren't totally unique and better than everyone else. However, if you want to go into film - I hear nothing but good about that department. The theatre school is pretty good, too. But don't be fooled by the art & design school. Go to IADT or the art institute. And take your gen eds at a community college. There's no reason to pay $20000+ for english, math, & science. read more

So last May I presented my thesis project to faculty, passed, and filled out all the paperwork necessary to receive my diploma. They said I would be receiving my diploma in the mail, sometime within the next 12 months. Guess what? Nearly 12 months later, I have no diploma. I have no idea why I believed them because anything having to do with paperwork gets messed up. A couple calls to Columbia's graduate office later and I'm told so-and-so is filling out paperwork and I should be getting a call shortly. ??? I'm knocking Columbia down to two stars because this is just absurd. Get it together if you want to be taken seriously. read more

Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? If it's half full, you will like Columbia. If it's not...well...look elsewhere. When you major in the arts (as I did), there's a few things you have to realize: 1. Getting A's will not help you in the job hunt. 2. Networking WILL help you in the job hunt. 3. Take time to work on projects outside of class. Being successful in the arts isn't a matter of studying hard and getting an A. In fact, most people that went this route aren't working in the field they studied in. It's the people that worked hard in their classes and pursued outside of class projects that are the most successful - myself included. I got my BA from Columbia in Film/Video in December of 2006. You need to keep a good attitude and work really, really hard to be successful in the arts while the economy is in the toilet. That's the bottom line. If you just show up to class and do enough to get an A, you will not break into the business of your choosing. It takes a self starter type of person to succeed at Columbia - and this type of learning method doesn't fit everyone. Choose wisely. The teachers here are good (obviously science/math are lacking, but what do you expect from an arts college) and you will be challenged. What I liked specifically about my teachers is that a lot of them worked IN the business itself, so you didn't have someone who had no idea what they are talking about telling you how to succeed. You won't be spoonfed and you are expected to work hard. Good luck. read more

I figured I would reiterate the other one star reviews below me--don't bother. And I was only recently admitted and I will be turning them down--once I receive the damn packet! I initially received an email a few weeks ago welcoming me as a post-bac, yet I still haven't received any documents to officially turn them down. My number one problem as I am not even in attendance--general lack of upkeep of the website. I found out after applying that I'm exempt from the program I wanted to declare a post bac in. This is in no way clearly stated on the website. I received an email a week after my acceptance, from an admissions counselor hungry for my money and asking if I had questions. Call me old-fashioned but writing what should be a professional email to me, should seriously lack spelling errors, "LOL" and emoticons. So pathetic. Something tells me that the tuition is going directly to the school's expansion. One thing's for sure--it's definitely not going anywhere useful enough to change their reputation!! p.s. last time I checked, the only colleges that don't require SAT scores for undergrad are community colleges and who the hell wants to spend 14K on comm. college? read more

I absolutely loved Columbia! I'm graduating this Sunday and I already miss this place! I feel like I have grown so much since I've been here. The faculty know what they are doing...They've worked in the industry and know what it takes to succeed. From my experience they really care for their students, and know how to teach the material (of course I didn't LOVE every professor, but for the most part I was very happy with the faculty.) I am in the marketing department and they have helped so much with developing a body of work to walk out and show to potential employers. I have a portfolio I am proud of and I am so thankful for that. I transferred from a big state school in Michigan and I am so glad I did. Yeah, I have more loans but the things I have gained while at Columbia are priceless. I seriously don't understand what everyone is complaining about. EVERY financial aid department at EVERY school sucks. I know this is cliche, but Columbia is what you make of it. You can either choose to accept all the great opportunites they have here or complain about everything that is wrong with it. read more

If I could leave zero stars, I would. Aside from their overpriced tuition, the staff and service in regards to student aid are deplorable. They'll withhold your transcript from you if you've got even a tiny bit of debt left over after withdrawing and won't release it even if you set up a payment plan. They've basically held my education hostage for years now. I've tried contacting student financial aid, and always get transferred or told there's nothing they can do. I've asked to speak to a supervisor, only to get a run around that they'll have someone call me in three days. No one ever called. You'll never get any real help from the staff, so don't even bother thinking this school is worth the money they'll try to drain out of you. read more

Open-enrollment: More good than bad comes of this. It's an art-school where you learn skills and make contacts, not a school to put on your resume for its own sake. The policy of part-time profs that also work elsewhere is the factor that will get you jobs if you impress them. KLEP tests: They accept KLEP tests as credit. Good test-taker? You can burn a couple year's worth of credits on these and they're only 60 bucks a pop. Great way to skip gen eds that don't interest you and it beats the time and financial investment you'd put into attending classes you can cram for instead. Lots of returning students: Being 31 and not always the oldest kid in the class has been good for me. Interactive Media Department (Web Design): Top notch and I've been particularly impressed with the higher level web programming profs I've had to date for JavaScript and PHP. Heh... uh... even if they haven't necessarily been impressed by me yet. IAM (Game Design): Their game design major is relatively new. Speaking as somebody who wrote for Game Informer Magazine for four years, I wasn't too impressed at first but it's starting to shape up fast. They've been pulling in some strong profs and speakers and the GD students seem like a bright and enthusiastic crowd. There are some great independent developers in town that do a lot of shopping for talent at Columbia which gives you the option of busting into the industry without having to move from the best city in the world to someplace horrible and overpriced in California. There is also much benefit to be gained from taking advantage of complementary skills from other departments like ficiton, film, and all manner of art. Fiction Department: Columbia wins awards almost annually for their Hair Trigger publication and for good reason. They don't just mechanically assign and criticize your work. It feels a little fluffy for an equal-brained type like me at times what with the word games and other exercises for simply leaping on an idea and going with it in class but the important factor with all this is that you SHOULD learn to take an idea and go with it rather than expect to be able to plot out perfectly intriguing stories in your head beforehand. Both profs I've had so far have been great. This is not storywriting by the numbers but finding your own natural voice. Journalism Department: I've noticed a lot more brain-drain slowing the classes down as a result of the open-enrollment policy here than in other departments but you'll also meet some smart, dedicated students and you WILL meet profs who can get you hired and the internship possibilities are big. If you want to get into sports writing, they've got one of my favorite profs and human beings teaching this and his copy editing class was the most useful journalism class I've taken to date, even if it convinced me that maybe straight journalism isn't a gig that will keep me satisfied and I'm now scrambling to: Create an interdisciplinary: I think there probably are limitations to this but my interests have spread out fast and the people I've talked think I'll be able to pull off some kind of reporting for/through interactive media foolishness. Regardless, I'm more excited about my skills than finally completing a BA at this point but it's nice to know that there exists the possibility for greater flexibility. Downsides? Lame antibush protestors that need to be more creative in their tactics and find ways to express discontent in writing without the use of allcaps and multiple exclamation points. It's the digital age kids. Find ways to mount effective boycotts against right wing campaign contributors and demand campaign finance reform. Impeachment is a pipe dream that we'd all love to see happen but there are wiser targets out there. Fortunately but also sadly, there aren't many of them. It's not cheap. Nor is it getting cheaper. (the high-ups are doing a lousy job of finding donors and tuition has been climbing almost annually) The elevators really do suck. read more

I'm currently in my second semester here and I have to say.. I am a tad bit worried still. I commute, so I cant say anything on the living.. But I will say, my first semester was the WORST experience of my life. Though this semester is looking nicer. To start off, for my major, I find it extremely annoying that like in high school, the level of the class is set for the lowest level. I was forced into photo 1 because I didn't even know I COULD show my portfolio to try and skip it. Either way, I was stuck in both classes of my major hating life. My dark room teacher was a very fun and nice man. The problem was (not to be arrogant.. But it's more of a, if I'm paying this much I want to be learning) the classes were teaching me things I'd been doing for years. I was lucky enough to have a very well equipped and large darkroom in my high school and was taking private lessons before that. So, learning "This is how to use an enlarger" really didn't motivate me to do anything. My foundations teacher was an extremely arrogant man himself who hated just about everyone. Most of the gen eds are so easy you could sleep through the class and still pass as long as you have a basic grasp on what you learned in high school. I'm an odd type who actually likes math and science, so these are also boring.. But I do have to say, my GPA has gone up ridiculously since I started going to this school. Seeing as most art students are just looking for the bare minimum, I find myself taking the, "Advanced" classes just to not fall asleep. (My current math class I end up watching the teacher make more mistakes on simple problems anything.) My current classes other than math I do enjoy though, my color photography is fun, and both teachers are extremely talented and helpful. (I love that my foundations professor goes over ALL the science in color and light and everything that has to do with it.) The main downside is that they use color processors. Instead of teaching you to make your own color prints. This school is VERY unorganized. I couldn't sign up for classes till last minute because they messed up on tons of my paperwork, and my first day I didn't even know about orientation until someone else TOLD me about it. They don't really tell you anything and don't help much either. While this school does have a very good darkroom overall, I have to say that if you know a lot about what you're going into get ready to go over the basics again and again. Also, you cant use certain things until you're at a certain level in the school. Which is EXTREMELY frustration. The school is supposed to inspire creativity but all I find it doing is holding me back and limiting me. While I enjoy fine tuning certain skills, I want to still be able to keep up on other things I already know but apparently aren't "Leveled" to do. Also, 95% of the school's population has a stick up it's ass. A lot of the people who come here were the "best" where they came from, and are used to being praised. The problem is, everyone was the best somewhere and they don't wanna change their ways. So, be ready for arrogant people and arrogant teachers. It's normal in the arts. Side note.. be careful, cause this is a private school, if you choose not to go, there's a high chance your credits WONT transfer if you want to switch. read more

Context: I graduated from the Photography program in the mid 2000's. I came to the school with all of my Gen Ed done from State schools and a Community College. Bottom line: I had a generally good experience with instructors, and a generally poor experience with the school administration. The student body, as others have mentioned, is full of under-motivated students who typically only stay for a few semesters. Instructors: I found that most of my instructors were passionate about their work and willing to help students. However, I think that the Photography program focuses too much on Contemporary Photography and developing concepts in Photography. This focus on 'What does it mean' and 'What is this body of work trying to say' was crammed down our throats all the way to Senior Thesis and ultimately stunted each student's ability to develop the skills required to enter the highly competitive WORK force. Furthermore, this focus on the conceptual drove the politics and cliques of the department. Instructors latched on to students who had very strong conceptual bodies of work that they developed from class to class... and tended to ignore students who 'took pictures'. Interestingly enough, some of the most talented (technical) photographers of my class floated under the radar. I did have John White for Photojournalism... who is something of a hero to a small group in the department. A truly inspirational teacher who was let go some years past if I recall. I also had a really great Studio II instructor who FINALLY focused on the commercial realm of our profession. He was, however, the exception. Facilities: Facilities were top notch. I went to school at the near-dawn of the Digital Photography era... and the school had a state of the art digital/print lab. Unfortunately, the snobbery of the Photo department really reared its ugly head in the photo labs... the techs and student-employees were always downright nasty. I hated dealing with them; both in the digital lab and the darkroom area. I know for a fact some of the permanent employees still work there. Student body: For each small group class, I found that about 20-30% really wanted to be there and poured themselves into their work. Everyone else just floated by. The other 80% or so took their photos for assignments right outside the building... or shat out some god-awful piece in the studio (if they made it that far) or got into some off-the-wall niche like burlesque photography and then proceeded to show the same stuff every week. I'm convinced some students took one roll of film at the beginning of the semester and then proceeded to make one print per class until receiving a passing grade. So many folks seemed temporary -- poor attitudes and piss poor preparation for class. It was de-motivating and seemed to drag down the good instructors. Generally, the student body was super snobby. It was difficult to make friends, even for a social person. Dating was near impossible, for what its worth. Admin/Organization: Here is where the institution really fails. As already mentioned, they suck at basic administration for such a large institution. It is obvious through their admissions trends that they care about one thing: getting suburban students in the doors for at least a year (who cares if they graduate). They seemed to accept anyone. I found out my last semester that one of my gen-ed classes wasn't going to transfer. This wasn't the case when I got there. Despite the fact that I had enough credits, they wouldn't let me graduate without the class... So I signed up for another semester and threw in an advanced class too. Halfway through the next summer I had to leave the city for personal reasons. I withdrew from each class before the semester started. However, they sent a bill the following spring for the full cost of each class. They couldn't produced a single roster or document showing I ever came to class... yet they insisted that I pay for a full semester even though I withdrew. They eventually stopped fighting... and sold the debt to a collection agency! I settled with the collection agency eventually, because Columbia College wouldn't even discuss the matter any further. A year later I transferred in the needed gen-ed class and was given my diploma. When I got my final transcript it listed those two classes I withdrew from as "F" grades! It severely affected my GPA and was entirely inaccurate! I never even went to the first class... I withdrew! I fought this for literally years through their appeals process, which is anything but transparent. Finally, I called the advisor while on business to Chicago and said that I had the afternoon free and would be coming by to resolve the issue in person. Before I even got off the train they finally folded and listed the two courses as "W" for withdraw. Thank you... that was effing hard. All in all, this is a sub-par institution that I am not terribly proud of. read more

Best Education I could have gotten in Television Studies! I now work for Nielsen Media Research and I learned everything I needed to know about the industry from this school. If you are going to go make sure you get involved. The College is large and without a way to meet friends it can be a VERY big adjustment if coming from a small town! read more

The best thing about Columbia is the teaching staff, especially within the majors. The bulk of the teachers are professionals in whatever field they are teaching. I majored in theatre, and all of my teachers were somehow professionals in the field, actors, directors, designers, etc. I took two science classes there from actual scientists. My English Composition class was with a freelance writer. You get the idea. The main problem with Columbia is that, as others have mentioned, it's an open enrollment school. In other words, if you have a high school diploma or a GED and you are capable of holding a writing implement, you're in if you want to be. A few of the general education classes I took at Columbia were painful due to some of these less than bright students. Granted, a few of the teachers of those classes did have something to do with it, but it was mainly due to the idiocy of some of the other students in the class. The financial aid office pretty much sucks eggs, but that can be the case with any school judging from conversations I've had with friends at other institutions of higher learning. The academic advisors can be a little hit or miss too. Overall, Columbia is a great school for a lot of the stuff in any specific major. I would highly suggest going to your local community college or state school for your general education classes (or at least most of them) then transferring into Columbia to avoid having to sit in a classroom half full of the can barely hold a pencil mongoloids that get in to an open enrollment school. read more

Here's what I'll say about Columbia: you get out of it what you put in. I love that my teachers are professionals and I also love that I get to get real-life experience in many of my classes. I am a Performing Arts Management (AEMM) major and I love how arts-specific my classes are, while still giving me a good business background. I'm 25, so I feel like I do better in my classes because I can work independently. But, with the open admissions policy, there are a lot of really dumb kids who don't care. This keeps the classes from moving as fast as they could. Also, super-expensive and really archaic rules about classes you have to take and how many hours you have to put in. The networking is good, but since the school is so spread out- it could definitely be better. ****EDIT**** The longer I go to Columbia, the less and less satisfied I am. It seems like it's becoming a giant waste of time, as my classes are all similar and I think I'd be better off just working in the industry. It's also WAY to expensive, the bookstore NEVER buys enough books, and it's just a HUGE money trap. Also, few of the graduates I know have actually been prepared to work in their respective fields, or even able to secure a good job with their "mickey mouse" degrees. I think it would be better for grad students??? But, in this economy, save your money and go somewhere more affordable and practical. I'm just sayin..... read more

Some of the teachers are amazing, as well as classes. They are part-time, so its nice they work in the field they teach in. However, they BOLT the minute class is over. Be prepared to battle. For everything. Fees didn't clear? Not graduating on time (FYI to you)? They didn't get your housing application? No U-Pass? All a day to day battle of attending Columbia. Grin and bend.... read more

I attended Columbia part-time from 1987 to 1996. I'm glad I finally received a BA, after a bad two years at another IL university. Did I ever get a job in what I majored in? Unfortunately, no. Students who attend full-time seem to have the better advantage of college resources as well as networking. But those who are commuter students who work full-time (hence, only being able to take classes part-time), are largely left out of the party. I tried my best after I received my degree to break into my field, but to no avail. Part-time commuter students are largely invisible to the administration because most of us attend in the evenings, most of us are older, and we have work and family committments to juggle along with the course work. However, most of the instructors and professors are very good. If one wants to attend a college with a heavy focus on the arts, Columbia can't be beat. read more

While still in high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do for a living. At 27 years old, I still don't know. But, at the time, I thought a career in radio would be fun. My high school counselor recommended either Parkland College (southern Illinois), or Columbia College. I knew I wouldn't be able to afford to live on campus, even though I had a job I had real-world, post-college responsibilities like a car payment. So I decided on Columbia before I took a tour. My parents didn't go to college. So they didn't know what to expect, they were just happy I had the desire to further my education. After graduating high school, I started working full-time. Then I attended College of DuPage to complete my basic requirements. I'd recommend that anyone do this. And, as long as you are diligent about double-checking, most classes will transfer. I had issues with the math courses at COD, so I transferred all but my math to Columbia. I believe every single class transferred (2 years worth or courses). What I loved about Columbia is that I could start learning about my major immediately, since I took my gen ed credits somewhere else. Also, all of my instructors had experience in the journalism field (I switched to journalism after realizing that there were more science and math requirements for radio). Some professors I liked, others I couldn't stand. What I didn't love about Columbia is that it is NOT meant for commuters or students who work. Most of my peers were waitressing or interning. I couldn't afford an internship, because I had to get a paycheck. So, when I left Columbia, I had ZERO training in my field. You have to, and I mean HAVE to do some kind of internship or ass-kissing and work as hard as you can to network. Admittedly, I was a huge slacker in college. I lost my passion for journalism about halfway through my time there, because I realized that I'd never gain the experience I needed. I was making a decent salary at my job, and I wasn't willing to travel to another market to be successful in journalism (Dallas, Atlanta, etc.) Know what you want to do before you decide to attend Columbia. It's a costly decision to make willy-nilly. If I had to do it again, I would've commuted somewhere cheaper and done more research on my major. Looking back, I probably would've went to culinary or cosmetology school,or possibly studied to be a pharmacist. Passing classes is easy. And I failed a bunch. Go to class, do the work, and you will be fine. Getting a career post-Columbia is much more challenging. I was lucky that my job was something I was able to grow with after college. Oh, and that math class? A breeze at Columbia, even though a peer offered me a "dollar or a hug" to copy my homework. read more

I transferred into Columbia in Fall '07 from Western Michigan University. Hands down the best decision I've ever made. Most of my credits transferred so it wasn't that big of a deal. I came for photo and then switched to film. Nothing negative about the photo department - I was just sick of spending every waking moment in the darkroom. I guess photo is just a hobby for me. The film department is pretty amazing I must say. Starting next fall they are revamping a lot of the classes I already took to make them more digital. But I'm glad I got to edit my film using a razor blade and tape. Not many people can say they've done that. Semester in LA seems pretty good too. I plan on going there next summer and then graduating to an internship. Hopefully. As for the open admissions, yeah you're going to get kids like that at most schools, there are only a few who constantly confuse they're/their/there etc. It's only disturbing when I keep finding them in my screenwriting classes. That said, Chicago is a beautiful city, and it's even more fun once you are 21. UPDATE: I graduated from Columbia in May of 2010. My semester in LA program managed to get cancelled every single time I went to take it. They just now are getting Art Department classes in the film department which is awesome. Unfortunately I didn't get to experience all of these new, relevant classes. All in all, it seems these days any college you go to has its slew of problems. My student loans are outrageous, but I did get to live in an amazing city for 3 years. It's really taking the good with the bad for Columbia. I do now work on feature films in LA so I can't complain a whole lot about Columbia, even if you hate your classes, the people you meet there are worth it...because they are all trying to do the same thing that you are. read more

I went to Columbia College Chicago from the Fall of 2008 to the Fall of 2010. Before that, I attended UIC from the Fall of 2006 to the Spring of 2008. I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in the Spring of 2011 with a degree in Radio. It's a good school and I learned a lot there. The teachers I had in the Radio Department were good. They really knew what they were talking about. In the non-Radio classes I took, most of the teachers were fine. Going to Columbia College Chicago was a good experience for me and I'd recommend attending this school if you want to go to college in Chicago. read more

Ok so a solid three stars isn't stellar, but isn't crappy either.... To be fair, I graduated from Columbia College with a degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management in Spring '07. I also left with $93K in student loans...... Some classes were challenging and fun, but A LOT that I experienced fell victim to the "open admissions" policy at Columbia....meaning I was bored stiff, but forced to show up (3+ absences mean you fail that class). Let's just say that there are reasons that the Facebook group "I go to Columbia and can still form a coherent sentence" exists. Every college/university I've attended (4, yes, 4 of them) all had a fair amount of red tape and bs that you had to put up with, and Columbia was no different. If you are really into the arts (especially AEMM, Audio Arts, or Photography) it's a great school but do yourself a favor, and go to a community college first to get your gen-eds out of the way. read more

Never stay in the dorm 642 S Clark Street. There are two African American ladies, one with maroon hair and another with black hair who just enjoy tormenting college students because of their power to "let people in." They are so unnecessarily rude and mean for no reason other than to pass their own time. I am just an innocent bystander trying to stay with my friend for the night witnessing this ubsurd chaos and I would personally choose not to go to this university just for the unnecessarily rude staff. I hope they get the enjoyment they're looking for that's worth their minimum wage job. Students at Columbia college... if you want to go to a college that has he staff represent your university in this manner? I'd think twice before choosing to go here. read more

I spent 4 fabulous years at Columbia College Chicago and do not regret going to a "non-typical college" If only there were law schools similar to CCC.. read more

Took the Cheap Paper Making Days class, very cool. I had a blast, got dirty, made fun paper and learned a lot. Even had fun cleaning up. Hope they have this more often. read more

Ah, yes, my alma mater! Okay, I'm biased but I loved going here. Finally, I got to study what I WANTED to study! Which, in the case of Columbia, was art! All the arts! The school has a dizzying array of majors and sub-majors and funky ways to combine majors. Of course, you'll have to throughly check the school's website to figure out if it's the one for you and you should because is way too expensive to be unhappy. A whole swarming mass of art students downtown is bound to turn up a lot of oddness (people going to science class in full-on cheetah makeup, for example) and there are hipsters. Most of which are pretty chill but there are a few (you know them!) just roll your eyes at them and walk away. What are they gonna do? Sulk some more? Final word, if you work hard, keep up with your academic advisors, and keep your pretensions to a minimum you should do very well. read more