Columbia College understands that students are becoming less interested in attending an educational institution when that institution seems more focused on delivering courses and less focused on achieving high student completion rates as well as high student employment rates.
Since its opening almost 30 years ago, Columbia College has been committed to 3 important outcomes. (1) Providing an excellent, supportive learning environment where traditional and non-traditional learners as well as students with barriers achieve outstanding student academic success. (2) Where students achieve excellent employment success. (3) Where the cost of delivering educational programs in this institution is, in real terms, lower than similar programs in other institutions.
Results of Key Areas:
The following list briefly outlines the success Columbia achieved in 2012 in a number of key areas. More details of this information may be obtained by emailing the President of Columbia College at toms@columbia.ab.ca.
- International Comparison of Quality Education
- Completion Rates of Students in Certificate and Diploma Programs
- Employment Rate of Graduates
- Degree of Employer Satisfaction
- Degree of Student Satisfaction
- The Comparative Cost of Education for Adult Learners
In a recent quality study that included some 500,000 college students across North America, Columbia College was ranked in the top 10% of Colleges in both Academic Challenge, as well as Active and Collaborative Learning. Columbia ranked above average in every other area measured.
The current completion rate in Columbia’s certificate programs is 94% while our diploma is 89%. The most recent completion rates at public colleges in Alberta was reported in 2013 Campus Alberta Report. It stated that the Certificate rate was 63.8% and the diploma rate was 64.1%.
The employment rate of graduates, in their field of training, is 89% for Columbia College as a whole. The Department of Advanced Education does not produce comparable data for public colleges at this time.
The overall rate of employer satisfaction with Columbia College professional program students is 88%. Alberta Advanced Education rates are currently not available for public colleges. However, an “Education to Employment…” international study conducted by the McKinsey Centre for Government (2012) found that only 42% of employers felt that graduates were well prepared for work.
The overall rate of student satisfaction with their course instructor is 89%. Alberta Advanced Education rates are currently not available for public colleges.
The overall cost in real terms to deliver 1 year of education at a public college in Alberta is approximately $18,500 per student. This figure is arrived at by combining the approximate$10,000 of government funding to public colleges per student with the approximately $8,500 tuition and fees students pay directly. The cost to deliver 1 year of education at Columbia College averages $12,000 per student. Columbia College does not receive any government funding.
