Why Columbia?
Because at Columbia you can do it: follow your passion for art, media, and self-expression and get a real education with a real future - not one that starts deeply in debt. Columbia College Chicago is among the most affordable of private arts and media colleges in the nation. And yet it's an extraordinary education.
What makes it extraordinary?
They're working - and so are you.
Our average class has about 17 students taught by faculty who are working professionals in their fields. They're doing what you want to do: write, publish, make art, make books, broadcast, film, record, photograph, dance, digitize, and act. They know their way around theatres, museums, newsrooms, and editing suites. And they're great teachers who share their work, their questions, and their experiences with you.
You'll be on firm ground.
A Columbia education marries professional training with the educational breadth of a liberal arts curriculum. They gain a first-hand understanding of the world's history and cultures, and the achievements of its peoples' while mastering critical thinking and effective writing, two hallmarks of a liberal education. More about academics...
You'll be ready.
While at Columbia you'll develop a "portfolio" or "body of work" that serves as a measure of your education and your development as an artist or communicator, as well as a bridge to the professional world you'll enter upon graduation. More about our alumni...