The history of Columbus State University is closely intertwined with that of Columbus. The idea for a junior college was first proposed by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce in 1949. Efforts by local citizens kept the idea alive by raising money to purchase the college’s current site and developing plans for its administration. In 1958 when the law provided for the establishment of junior colleges in Georgia, Columbus State University opened at the renovated Shannon Hosiery Mill on Talbotton Road. At the time of its opening in 1958 as Columbus College, fourteen faculty members and five administrative staffers joined the college president in welcoming almost three hundred students to the building.

President: Dr. Stuart Rayfield

Courses Offered:
Associate’s Degrees
Bachelor’s Degrees
Master’s Degrees
Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees
Doctoral Degrees
Specialist Degrees
Certificates (Undergraduate)
Certificates (Graduate)
Endorsements (Undergraduate)
Endorsements (Graduate)
Minors (must be completed while pursuing a bachelor’s degree)
Nexus Degrees
Pre-Professional Programs

Library: Columbus State University began as Columbus College in September of 1958. The Columbus College Library opened in the fall of 1959. Located in a room of the old Shannon Hosiery Mill on Talbotton Road in Columbus, the library had 4,350 square feet of floor space and a seating capacity of 166.

The Simon Schwob Foundation was a supporter in the movement to build facilities to house a higher education institution in Columbus. In January 1963, Columbus College named its library, then located in its Administration Building, the Simon Schwob Memorial Library.

Facilities: Most classes are still taught on main campus, where more than $50 million in improvements are underway to upgrade facilities, technology and learning spaces for students:

Campus computer labs, including some open 24 hours a day, offer student access to e-mail, word processing, online research, and instructional technology. CSU Libraries, made up of the Simon Schwob Memorial Library on the main campus and the Music Library on the RiverPark campus, provides online access to more than 100 databases and electronic full-text access to more than 500 journals.

Columbus State University
4225 University Avenue Columbus, Georgia –  31907

Tel: 1-866-264-2035
Email: enroll@columbusstate.edu
Website: www.columbusstate.edu