The student population at Columbia College Chicago is 5,570 (5,422 undergraduate and 148 graduate students) . The number of students has decreased by 3,391 (37.84%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at Columbia College Chicago is 97.34% which is decreased by 3,186 over last 10 years. The graduate student population decreased by 205 and it has been decreasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 65 male students for every 100 female students, down from 72 in 2015.
- 37 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 311.11% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 7,042 where 5,570 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 1 year-over-year increase and 8 decreases. It peaked at 8,961 students in 2016 and was lowest at 5,570 in 2025. Overall, enrollment dropped from 8,961 to 5,570 students, a net loss of 3,391 (37.8%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Columbia College Chicago since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 6,795 where 5,422 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Columbia College Chicago since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 247 where 148 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Columbia College Chicago since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 39.08% and the percentage of black students is 18.71% at Columbia College Chicago. 3.61% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 27.63% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 54.90% to 39.08%. Asian enrollment grew from 3.29% to 3.61%. Black student enrollment increased from 15.09% to 18.71%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 11.22% to 27.63%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.7324 which indicates that quite diverse. This increased from 0.6600 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Columbia College Chicago over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
37 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 1% of total students. The number of online students has increased 311.11% since 2017. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Columbia College Chicago from 2015 to 2025.