Quad

Head-to-head

La Sierra
Columbia

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    La Sierra grads earn $20.5K more ten years out than Columbia's ($61,824 vs. $41,338)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Columbia costs about $5.8K less per year on average than La Sierra ($19,877 vs. $25,687, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    La Sierra's grants cover 51% of its full price on average, vs. 45% at Columbia

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Columbia has 7 pts more Pell recipients than La Sierra (54% vs. 47%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    La Sierra's yield is 5 pts higher than Columbia's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Columbia is a bit larger (1,343 vs. 1,116)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

La Sierra admits 92%, Columbia 94%; La Sierra's yield is higher, at 13%.

Acceptance rate
La Sierra92%
Columbia94%
Quad's selectivity
  • La SierraOpen
  • ColumbiaOpen
SAT middle 50%
La SierraTest-blind
ColumbiaTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • La SierraGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • ColumbiaSchool record considered

Who's on each campus

Columbia is a bit larger than La Sierra (1,343 vs. 1,116 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
La Sierra1.1K
Columbia1.3K
Pell Grant share
La Sierra47%
Columbia54%

Majors and faculty

Criminal Justice/Safety Studies leads at both; both have 12 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
La Sierra12 to 1
Columbia12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • La SierraCriminal Justice/Safety Studies18%
  • ColumbiaCriminal Justice/Safety Studies13%

What each costs

Columbia costs about $5.8K less a year than La Sierra on average; La Sierra's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
La Sierra$25.7K
Columbia$19.9K
Aid generosity
La Sierra51%
Columbia45%

What each pays off

La Sierra's former students earn more, a median $61.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
La Sierra$61.8K
Columbia$41.3K
Graduation rate
La Sierra52%
Columbia52%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Columbia but fell at La Sierra; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • La SierraShrinking−59%
  • ColumbiaGrowing+527%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why