Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Columbia College Chicago, University of Hartford, Clark Atlanta University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Columbia CollegeChicago, IL | HartfordWest Hartford, CT | Clark AtlantaAtlanta, GA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 89.5% | 95.8% | 64.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedColumbia College Chicago reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1120–1310 | Not reportedClark Atlanta University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $26,59846.0% on Pell grants | $30,28233.0% on Pell grants | $37,70270.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $34,088Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $49,075Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $28,310Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.5% | 54.4% | 49.0% |
| First-year retention | 66.0% | 82.9% | 70.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 46.0% | 33.0% | 70.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $42,195 | $60,823 | $42,712 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 11:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,368 | 4,146 | 3,603 |
| Consensus percentile | 72Lower is better | 72Lower is better | 73Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 46 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 38 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 46 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Columbia College | Hartford | Clark Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #128 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #301 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #329 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #845 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1389 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #992 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #500 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #363 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #489 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #1416 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1423 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1353 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Columbia College Chicago on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Hartford on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Clark Atlanta University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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