Columbus State University—a four-year institution—serves the educational needs of a diverse region by providing a mixture of liberal arts and professional programs leading to associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees. The University also serves transfer and transient students as well as those seeking certification and licensure. The University maintains a strong core of general education as the foundation of all its academic programs. The University provides a student-centered developmental program for those students who are unprepared for the rigors of college work. The University serves the educational, cultural, and economic needs of its region by providing credit and non-credit outreach programs. In all these endeavors, the University strives to meet the needs of previously underserved populations in its service area.
The university enrolls almost 8,000 students who come to Columbus State primarily from throughout Georgia. The school also is a popular destination for students from Alabama and other states in the nation. The average age of the student body is 26.
Students may enroll in one of 45 undergraduate degree programs offered in the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Education, Science, and Business.
At the master's level the university offers a MBA and degrees in education, music, public administration, applied computer science and environmental science.
Columbus State's economic impact was more than $226.8 million during FY 2010.