Columbia International University

What Columbia International University does

Columbia International University (CIU) is a private, nonprofit Christian university founded in 1923 and headquartered on a 400-acre campus in Columbia, South Carolina. It delivers higher education across six academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Cook School of Business, the School of Missions and Intercultural Ministry, the School of Nursing, and the Seminary and School of Counseling. The institution offers more than 75 degree programs at the associate through doctoral levels, delivered on-campus, fully online, or in hybrid formats, with a reported 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 14.

CIU's core technology stack is conventional EdTech rather than proprietary: Canvas powers the learning management system, a Salesforce-based MyCIU student portal handles registration, billing, and academic management, Slingshot fulfills textbook orders billed to student accounts, and Parchment processes transcript requests. Instructional differentiation rests on the Competency-Based Theological Education (CBTE) program and the Vox Gap Year partnership rather than on technology. The university holds multiple accreditations (SACSCOC, ABHE, CCNE for nursing, CACREP for clinical counseling) and is a Five-Star NAIA Champions of Character institution, with Mark Smith serving as President.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from tuition and fees, on-campus housing and dining, athletics-related fees, advancement/donations, and federal/state financial aid administration. Pricing is structured as per-credit tuition with significant discounting via merit scholarships (up to $14,000+/year), full-tuition awards (Ram Pell Promise, CIU Fellows, National Merit), alumni referral and legacy scholarships, military scholarships (up to $2,500/semester), and a $100/credit-hour dual-enrollment channel for high school students. Customer segments span traditional residential undergraduates, online adult learners, graduate and doctoral students, high school dual-enrollment students, transfer students, and international students from 40+ countries. The university maintains subsidiaries including Kepha Institute (Chinese-language programs) and an academic partnership with Vox School of Discipleship for the gap year program.

Name

Columbia International University

Legal name

Columbia International University

Website

https://ciu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Columbia International University is a private nonprofit Christian university in Columbia, SC, founded in 1923, offering 75+ undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs on campus and online to residential, online adult, graduate, international, and dual-enrollment students across six academic colleges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Online degree programs
• Graduate theological studies
• Bachelor's degree programs
• Doctoral business administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition charged per credit hour or flat rate for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Residential students pay additional fees for housing and dining.
2. Financial Aid Administration: CIU administers federal aid (FAFSA), state scholarships (SC Hope, LIFE, Palmetto Fellows), institutional scholarships, and veteran benefits including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program.
3. Campus Housing and Dining: Revenue from on-campus housing (Pine View Apartments), dining hall meals, and related student life services.
4. Athletics: CIU Rams athletics competes in NAIA and NCCAA conferences, generating revenue through student athletics fees and donations.
5. Advancement and Donations: CIU Fund, scholarships, planned giving, and initiative donations support university operations and student financial aid.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Columbia International University is a Christ-centered higher education institution offering over 75 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs delivered on a 400-acre residential campus in Columbia, South Carolina, and fully online. Programs span business, education, nursing/health sciences, counseling, seminary/missions, and liberal arts, organized into six academic colleges with accreditation from SACSCOC, ABHE, CCNE, and CACREP. The university serves traditional undergraduates, online adult learners, graduate students, high school dual-enrollment students, and international students from 40+ countries.

Product overview

Columbia International University is a Christ-centered higher education institution offering over 75 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs through multiple delivery formats (campus-based, fully online, or hybrid). The university is organized into six academic colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Education, Cook School of Business, School of Missions & Intercultural Ministry, School of Nursing, and Seminary & School of Counseling. Programs span business, education, liberal arts, nursing/health sciences, psychology/counseling, and seminary/missions disciplines. Supporting services include the G. Allen Fleece Library, student success center, career services, and Canvas LMS for online delivery. Special programs include the Honors Program for high-achieving students, Dual Enrollment for high school students, and the Vox Gap Year program offered through an academic partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campus Undergraduate Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures personalized attention
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Slingshot BookstorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlingshot provides automated textbook rental and purchase services for all CIU students, with costs billed directly to student accounts. Includes physical and digital textbook delivery with opt-out options.
• Local Healthcare FacilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnerships with local healthcare facilities for pre-licensure nursing students to complete clinical rotations in patient care settings.
• Vox School of DiscipleshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership offering the Vox Gap Year program in Travelers Rest, SC, providing 27 transferable college credits through immersive discipleship, ministry experience, and adventure activities.
• NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIU Rams compete in NAIA Division I and NCCAA Division I conferences. Five-Star NAIA Champions of Character designation for athletics excellence.
• ParchmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationTranscript ordering and processing service enabling students to request official and replacement transcripts electronically or by mail.
• Partner Universities and Programs (Study Abroad)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad partnerships including Greenville University's Contemporary Music Center, L.A. Film Studies Center, Uganda Christian University, and Scholarship & Christianity programmes in Oxford, England.
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIU accepts VA education benefits including GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, and is approved by the South Carolina State Approving Agency for veteran education benefits.
• Canvas LMScoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system powering online and hybrid course delivery with syllabi, instructor information, and online learning tools.
• Tuition Exchange ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCIU participates in reciprocal scholarship program allowing dependents of eligible employees to attend other Tuition Exchange member institutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North Greenville University: Private Southern Baptist university in South Carolina offering residential undergraduate and selected online graduate programs. Direct competitor for South Carolina faith-based undergraduate students and similarly NAIA athletics.
• Oral Roberts University: Private charismatic Christian university in Oklahoma offering undergraduate and graduate programs with Pentecostal theological roots. Comparable religious-affiliation model, doctoral offerings, and residential campus footprint.
• Anderson University (SC): Private Baptist-affiliated university in South Carolina offering undergraduate and graduate programs with a Christian liberal arts core. Comparable size, faith-based positioning, and regional footprint in the SC higher-ed market.
• Southeastern University: Private Assemblies of God university in Florida offering Christ-centered undergraduate and graduate programs with growing online enrollment. Comparable faith-based mission, program mix, and reliance on tuition + donations.
• Regent University: Private Christian university in Virginia with a strong online and graduate/doctoral focus in business, divinity, education, and government. Comparable faith-based positioning with materially larger online enrollment.
• Bob Jones University: Private fundamentalist Christian university also located in South Carolina offering associate through doctoral programs in a residential setting. Closest geographic and theological peer to CIU, with overlapping faith-based curriculum and student demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Wheaton College: Top-tier private evangelical Christian liberal arts college in Illinois with strong graduate programs. Comparable faith-based mission and academic reputation, but with substantially higher selectivity and national brand.
• Liberty University: The largest private evangelical university in the U.S., offering extensive online undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with a Christ-centered mission. Directly comparable faith-based positioning and online/distance-learning model, but at substantially greater scale.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large private nonprofit university with the dominant online undergraduate and graduate program in the U.S. Not faith-based, but a primary competitive benchmark for CIU's online programs on price, scale, and platform.

Regional players

• Erskine College: Private Christian college in Due West, South Carolina, affiliated with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Comparable SC faith-based liberal arts positioning though smaller and primarily undergraduate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/7qByDr0UECJRkzIqwrp13m
• Facebookfacebook.com/93491142369
• Instagraminstagram.com/ciualumni
• Xx.com/CIUImpact
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-international-university

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbia International University