Tuition and Fees 2025-26
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.
| 2025-26 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) | $461 |
| U-Pass fee, per semester (6 credits or more)* | $153 |
| Course Auditing fee** | $200 |
| Thesis Continuance Course fee*** | $500 |
*Estimated cost for 2025-26; 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) | $345 |
| 1-5 credit hours (flat per-semester) | $186 |
|
Acting and Contemporary Performance Making (MFA) |
$1,495 |
|
Entrepreneurship for Creatives (MA) |
$1,386 |
| $1,320 |
