Columbia Southern University
Median Salary (5 years)
Bachelor's
$72,842
Master's
$79,354
Doctoral
N/A
Columbia Southern University (CSU) is a private, fully online institution that features a variety of distance learning degrees. Some of the most well-attended programs include bachelor's and associate degrees in business administration, fire science, and occupational safety and health. With its open admissions policy, CSU accepts all candidates who hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. Nearly half of the university's students enroll part time.
Rankings
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#1
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Fire Science Degrees
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#1
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Law Enforcement Degrees
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#1
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Aviation Degrees
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#1
2026 Best Project Management Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#1
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Project Management Degrees
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#1
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Health Education
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#2
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Law Enforcement Degrees
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#2
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Organizational Leadership
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#2
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Healthcare Management Master's Degrees
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#2
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Project Management
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#2
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Network Administration Degrees
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#2
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Aerospace Engineering Degrees
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#2
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Associate Degrees in Management
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#2
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Information Systems Degrees
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#2
2026 Best Organizational Leadership Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#3
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Finance Degrees
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#3
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Management
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#3
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Colleges with Open Admissions
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#3
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Bachelor's Degrees
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#3
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË MPH Programs
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#3
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Fire Science Degrees
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#4
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Marketing
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#4
2026 Most Affordable Homeland Security Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Communications Degrees
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#4
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Programs in Emergency Management
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Associate Degrees in Business
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#5
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Hospitality Management Degrees
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#5
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Homeland Security
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#5
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's in Healthcare Administration
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#5
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Emergency Management Degrees
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#5
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Supply Chain Management Degrees
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#6
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Aviation Degrees
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#6
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Human Services Degrees
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#7
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Information Technology
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#7
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Environmental Science Degrees
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#7
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Finance
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#7
2026 Most Affordable Military-Friendly 91³ÉÈË Colleges
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#7
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Associate Degrees
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#7
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Business Management Degrees
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#8
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Human Resources
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#8
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Management Degrees
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#9
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Healthcare Administration Degrees
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#9
2026 Most Affordable Hospitality Management Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#11
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Accounting Degrees
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#12
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Business Degrees
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#12
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Cybersecurity Degrees
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#12
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Management Associate Degrees
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#13
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Associate Degrees
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#13
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Associate Degrees in Computer Science
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#13
2026 Most Affordable IT Associate Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#14
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Colleges & Degrees
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#15
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË MBA Programs
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#15
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË IT Degrees
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#15
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Healthcare Management Degrees
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#17
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Marketing Degrees
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#17
2026 Best Military-Friendly 91³ÉÈË Colleges
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#20
2026 Most Affordable 91³ÉÈË Human Resources Degrees
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#22
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Doctoral Programs
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#26
2026 Most Popular 91³ÉÈË Colleges
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#1
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Economics Degrees
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#1
Best 91³ÉÈË Data Analytics Degrees
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#1
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Economics Degrees
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#2
Best Business Doctoral Programs 91³ÉÈË 2026
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#2
Best Business Doctoral Programs 91³ÉÈË 2026
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#2
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Occupational Safety Degrees
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#3
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Emergency Management
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#3
Most Popular Master Degrees in Public Administration 91³ÉÈË
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#3
Best 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees in Organizational Leadership
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Forensic Science Degrees
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#4
Most Popular Healthcare Management Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Master's in Homeland Security Degrees
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Master's in Management Degrees
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#4
Best 91³ÉÈË Criminal Justice Associate Degrees 2026
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#4
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Master's in Management Degrees
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#5
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Degrees in Healthcare Administration
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#5
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Forensic Psychology Degrees
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#5
Best Health Care Management Degrees 91³ÉÈË 2026
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#6
Best 91³ÉÈË MBA Programs
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#6
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË Data Science Degrees
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#8
2026 Best HR Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#8
Best Medical Billing and Coding Associate Degrees 91³ÉÈË
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#9
Best 91³ÉÈË Colleges with Open Admissions
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#10
Best 91³ÉÈË Criminal Justice Degrees
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#11
Best 91³ÉÈË Psychology Degrees 2026
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#13
2026 Best Criminal Justice 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees
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#13
2026 Best Criminal Justice 91³ÉÈË Master's Degrees
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#15
2026 Best 91³ÉÈË IT Degrees
Median Salary for 91³ÉÈË Degrees at Columbia Southern University
Certificate Degrees
| Field of Study | Median Salary (1 year) | Median Salary (5 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $49,753 | $78,497 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Not Reported | $57,864 |
Associate Degrees
| Field of Study | Median Salary (1 year) | Median Salary (5 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $49,820 | $51,885 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $58,241 | $62,396 |
| Fire Protection | $75,326 | $80,640 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $55,667 | $66,199 |
Bachelor's Degrees
| Field of Study | Median Salary (1 year) | Median Salary (5 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $58,468 | $63,635 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $53,644 | $82,769 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $60,461 | $61,453 |
| Fire Protection | $82,718 | $87,912 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $51,692 | $60,480 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $53,843 | $59,483 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $38,439 | $44,714 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $74,546 | $74,518 |
Master's Degrees
| Field of Study | Median Salary (1 year) | Median Salary (5 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $70,859 | $75,617 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $61,993 | $62,524 |
| Homeland Security | $85,364 | $83,721 |
| Public Administration | $63,643 | $80,102 |
FAQs About Columbia Southern University
Is Columbia Southern Legitimate?
Even though Columbia Southern only offers distance learning programs, it is a legitimate online college. Columbia Southern University is an accredited member of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (). The DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and it's a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (). CHEA is a nonprofit organization serving as a national advocate for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. All of Columbia Southern's programs have been reviewed and approved by DEAC.
Institutional accreditation — formerly called regional or national accreditation — is one of the best indications of a school's quality. Earning accreditation requires colleges to meet and maintain rigorous academic and administrative standards.
What Is Columbia Southern Known For?
Degrees in Business and Quality Control
The most popular subjects at Columbia Southern are business and quality control, according to the U.S. Department of Education's . This includes the school's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health, along with associate degrees in the same fields.
What Are the Career Outcomes for Columbia Southern?
According to College Scorecard, of Columbia Southern students graduate within eight years of starting their degree. This is below the median eight-year graduation rate of 59% for all schools combined. However, most students who that they were employed soon after, including 83% of bachelor's graduates who majored in business or occupational safety and health.
College Scorecard reports median annual wages of $74,398 for Columbia Southern graduates, which is higher than the median yearly salary for all U.S. jobs combined. But this $74,000 doesn't tell the whole story, because the College Scorecard data is based on students who received federal financial aid. Only of Columbia Southern students currently receive federal gift aid and 41% receive federal loans.
How Difficult Is It To Get Into Columbia Southern?
It's not difficult to get into Columbia Southern because the university has an open admissions policy. This means that all undergraduate applicants are admitted as long as they have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and graduate students can attend if they hold a bachelor's degree.
What Are the Admission Requirements for Columbia Southern?
All undergraduate and graduate degree candidates must complete an , which requires a social security number and contact information. Because Columbia Southern has open admissions, the university doesn't require entrance exams, letters of recommendation, or personal statements. Applying is free.
Bachelor's degree applicants submit an official high school transcript, GED transcript, or verification of homeschool completion consistent with requirements in their state. Prospective transfer students also need official transcripts from all postsecondary schools they've attended.
Master's and doctoral degree candidates must submit official transcripts for all colleges they've attended.