Tuition and Fees 2024-25

This section allows for a quick scan of all of Columbia’s direct costs. These are fixed costs such as tuition, fees, and on-campus housing for the current year. Student status is calculated by the number of credit hours registered, where full time is 9 credit hours (5 in the summer). Part time is 8 or fewer hours in the fall/spring, and 4 or fewer hours in the summer. 

2024-25 Graduate tuition and fees Costs
Tuition costs See below
Application fee $60
International application fee $100
Fees Full-Time; 9 or more credit hours (flat per-semester) $452
U-Pass fee, per semester (6 credits or more)* $153
Course Auditing fee** $200
Thesis Continuance Course fee*** $500

*Estimated cost for 2024-25; final cost is pending Chicago Transit Authority approval.

**A graduate student may audit an undergraduate course. While tuition will not be charged for the audited course, this fee will be assessed per audited course. 

***A student registers for 0 credit thesis and pays the Thesis Continuance fee when they have reached the allowable number of thesis repeats for 1 credit hour or greater. The allowable number of repeats varies by graduate program.

2024-25 Part-time graduate student fees Cost
6-8 credit hours (flat per-semester) $338
1-5 credit hours (flat per-semester) $182
Graduate Program Cost per Credit Hour

Acting and Contemporary Performance Making (MA)

Acting and Contemporary Performance Making (MFA)

Cinema and Television Directing (MFA)

Cinema and Television Producing (MFA)

Music Composition for the Screen (MFA)

$1,424

Entrepreneurship for Creatives (MA)

Fine Arts (MFA)

Journalism (MA)

Masters of Arts Management (MAM)

Photography (MFA)

$1,320

Civic Media (MA)

Creative Writing (MFA)

Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling (MA)

Interaction Design (MA)

Strategic Communication (MA)

$1,257
Academic Dates and Deadlines