Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Columbia Southern University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Alabama
- #7 Best Research Universities in Alabama 2026
- #9 Most Affordable Online Associate Degrees
- #9 Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Healthcare Administration
- #10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees
- #11 Best Private Colleges in Alabama
- #13 Best Grad Schools in Alabama
- #14 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees
- #15 Most Affordable Online Colleges
- #17 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama
- #18 Most Affordable Online MBA Programs
- #31 The Most Affordable Traditional MBA Degree Programs
About Columbia Southern University
According to Wikipedia, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit online university in Orange Beach, Alabama. History Columbia Southern University was founded in 1993 by Robert G. Mayes, Sr. The university developed its first degree programs in Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health in 1994. By 1996 additional degree programs were developed and offered: The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, followed by Computer Science, Criminal Justice Administration, and Health Administration.
Columbia Southern University's Online Degrees
MS in Occupational Safety And Health
Degree Concentrations
- Environmental Management
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
AS in Occupational Safety And Health
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
BSBA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Occupational Safety And Health
Degree Concentrations
- Construction Safety
- Fire Science
- Oil And Gas
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Information Systems And Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Fire Science
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
MS in Criminal Justice Administration
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MPA in Criminal Justice Administration
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MS in Homeland Security
Degree Concentrations
- Criminal Justice
- Emergency Services Management
- Management
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
BS in Criminal Justice Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Arson Investigation
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Fire Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Fire Investigation
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
AS in Health Information Science
Degree Concentrations
- Medical Coding
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
BS in Healthcare Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Emergency Medical Services Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Columbia Southern University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 71% | 30% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Columbia Southern University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $6,472 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,131 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,793 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,168 |
| 75K - 110K | $15,722 |
| 110K+ | $19,961 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Columbia Southern University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Columbia Southern University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $66,855 a year, and 89% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Columbia Southern University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 30,425 | 21,967 | 8,458 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Columbia Southern University?
Columbia Southern University is located at 21982 University Lane, Orange Beach, AL 36561-9000.
How Safe is Columbia Southern University?
No violent or property offenses were reported on Columbia Southern University’s campus in 2024. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Columbia Southern University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Orange Beach has a violent crime rate of 0.36% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.88%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Columbia Southern University Known For?
Columbia Southern University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
Columbia Southern University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Columbia Southern University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Columbia Southern University ranks #578 in the U.S. and #1079 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesColumbia Southern University ranks #935 in the U.S. and #4176 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesColumbia Southern University ranks #1323 in the U.S. and #4885 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesColumbia Southern University ranks #2680 in the U.S. and #9858 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesColumbia Southern University ranks #3162 in the U.S. and #11299 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesColumbia Southern University ranks #3776 in the U.S. and #15103 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science Degrees