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Your career is waiting. Get ready your way.

The world of work is changing fast. Technology is changing. Central Ohio is changing. Attitudes toward college are changing. And Columbus State is changing too.

Columbus is a career boomtown.

The world's leading companies in computer chips, clean energy, electric vehicles, health care, gene therapy, and tech are relocating to Columbus and they need your talent. The path, pace, and price of education and training for high-paying careers had changed. Get ready for your future at Columbus State, where you can prepare for your career. Your way.

Our practical, career-focused, hands-on learning is tailored to your interests, your lifestyle, and your goals. Welcome to Columbus State, where you can learn and grow on your own terms — so you can launch the career you want, the way you want. We’ll help you get prepared for in-demand jobs in fast growing industries in central Ohio and beyond.

Columbus Employers Need You.

There has never been a better time to start your career in central Ohio, where top employers are hiring like never before.

Information Technology

A career for leading-edge innovators.

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Advanced Manufacturing

A career for technicians and problem solvers.

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Health Care

A career for caregivers and their supporters.

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Logistics and Supply Chain

A career for masters of detail.

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A better way to do college.

You have more options than you think. Short-term certificate. Two-year degree. Choose what's right for you.

Start college in high school. Jumpstart a new career with a bootcamp or short-term certificate. Earn a good paycheck working in your chosen field while you finish your degree. Complete the first half of your bachelor's and transfer to a four-year school. Choose the program and pace that work for you. Learn in-demand skills employers need from industry-trained instructors and respected faculty. Then enter and advance in your field of choice with little to no college debt. It's the education you need for the career you want.

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  • Stackable Credits

    Earn college credit in high school. College Credit Plus and articulated credit transfers to college, "stacking" into a degree program and qualifying you for an entry-level position in your field of choice.

    benefits
    • Learn skills employers want.
    • Network with future mentors and supervisors.
    • Get your foot in the door and qualify for employer-funded tuition benefits.
    • Set your resume apart with education employers value.
  • Short-term, Professional Certificates

    Certifications are employer-recognized (and often employer-paid!) credentials that can open the door to a new career faster than a degree program. Certificates are a great way to increase your income, gain professional experience, and build your resume.

    benefits
    • Get an early start to your career
    • Gain experience and boost earning potential
    • Open doors to new positions or promotions
    • Set yourself apart in a competitive job market
    • Pursue highly specialized careers that pay more
    • Get qualified in just 1-2 semesters
  • 2-Year Associate Degrees

    Columbus State's Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) and Associate of Technical Studies (A.T.S.) degrees can help you get into the workforce faster. Many high-paying careers no longer require a four-year degree. Earn a two-year associate degree, get hired, and qualify for employer-funded tuition benefits to earn your bachelor's degree more affordably.

    benefits
    • Blend your college and career experiences
    • Earn while you learn with apprenticeships and work-study
    • Get practical, hands-on training
    • Get exposure to employers and employer-based learning
    • Get to work and start earning faster
  • 2+2 or 3+1 Bachelor's Degree

    You can get guaranteed transfer of your Columbus State credits to one of our partnering institutions to earn a bachelor's degree with low-to-no college debt. In fact, 76% of Columbus State students take on zero student loan debt thanks to low tuition, Earn-and-Learn programs, and scholarships. You can even choose to complete your associate degree (AA or AS) while you're at it — which can help you get into the workforce faster.

    benefits
    • Low tuition reduces your student debt
    • Learn how to be successful in college before your transfer.
    • Get experiences that earn scholarships when you transfer
    • Enjoy preferred pathways to nine Ohio universities
    • Save $30,000 or more toward your bachelor's degree
  • Continuing Education

    The world of work is changing fast. Employers hire people who want to keep learning. Choose from accelerated training, bootcamps, certificate-to-degree program intensives, and employer-funded upskilling for career advancement, re-careering, and continued relevance in an ever-evolving workplace.

    benefits
    • Stay on top of your game
    • Skip classes you don't need
    • Brush up on your foundational skills
    • Embrace and learn new technology
    • Stay job-secure and competitive

In-Demand Careers

We offer two-year degrees and certificates in a variety of in-demand fields: Find the training you need for the career you want.

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Careers start in the classroom

At CState, many of our instructors are also experienced professionals working in their fields. Our employer partnerships make this possible. We develop the curriculum and learning experience with employer input.

That's how we create an engaging, hands-on learning environment where you and your classmates can put your learning to the test in real-time—for a practical, relevant, individualized, and applicable education that's just as unique as your goals.

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In-Demand Skills
In-Demand Skills

Staying highly qualified is a moving target, especially in today's fast-changing job market. At Columbus State, we not only get you up to speed on current careers, trends, technology, and techniques — we prepare you for what's to come with the relevant skills employers want.

benefits
  • Learn what employers are really looking for in real time.
  • Take courses developed and taught by professionals.
  • Study emerging trends in your areas of interest.
  • Tap into highly specific, in-demand careers.
  • Meet requirements to advance in your industry.
Hands-on Approach
Hands-on Approach

Theory and lecture halls have their place, but we know students learn best by doing. Employers are as interested in your skills as they are in your knowledge. That's why we build hands-on learning — the opportunity to practice what you're learning — into all of our coursework.

benefits
  • Take classes online, on-campus, or both.
  • Put theory to practice in a real-time environment.
  • Learn skills you can apply immediately at work.
  • Apply what you're learning in the context of the workplace.
Experienced Instructors
Experienced Instructors

Learn from the people who've been there. Who are still there. And in small classes where the teachers actually know your name. Many of our instructors also work full time as established leaders in their fields. They know what it takes to enter into and advance within your field of interest, and they can help you build customized skills, gain relevant experience, make employer connections, and expand your vision for a more rewarding career.

benefits
  • Learn from leaders who have been where you're going
  • Gain feedback to inform your performance
  • Connect with a diverse group of instructors
  • Trade lecture halls for intimate classroom environments
  • Build your pool of go-to job references
Classes Designed with Employers
Classes Designed with Employers

When our students succeed, central Ohio succeeds. Hyper-relevant education not only keeps our workforce sharp, it creates more job opportunities and helps Columbus thrive. That's why we work side-by-side with local employers to tailor our classes around what local organizations really want and need. Staying responsive to community workforce needs keeps our students poised and ready to help bolster and benefit from the local economy.

benefits
  • Take classes employers helped us design
  • Gain skills for the job descriptions of tomorrow
  • Discover internships with local employers
  • Prepare for interviews with leaders connected to CState
  • Fill the knowledge and skill gap in your industry
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Learn and grow at your own pace.

There's more than one pathway to the career you want.

Start with a few credits to learn a new skill. Complete a certificate to start a new job and qualify for employer tuition benefits, or earn a promotion and make more money. Earn your associate degree to launch a new career. Then pursue your bachelor's with employer-funded tuition benefits to avoid college debt while you work.

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  • Good jobs become great careers.

    Chasing a paycheck gets old, especially when ends don't meet. Build a better career today and the life you want for yourself and your family tomorrow.

    benefits
    • Prepare for high-paying roles in industries that drive our regional economy
    • Increase your lifetime earning potential
    • Learn skills that make you attractive to lots of industries so you're employable and job-secure
    • Open doors to better pay and benefits
    • Learn, grow, and lead your way into emerging industries
  • Get to work faster.

    Whether you plan to go to school full time or work while you learn, our flexible schedules will help you balance work, life, and learning so you can start your career sooner.

    benefits
    • Be employable faster and for less cost
    • Apply relevant course concepts at work immediately
    • Pursue entry-level jobs and internships while you learn
    • Earn money to pay for college as you go
    • Gain valuable work experience to build your resume
  • We know employers.

    Employers love to hire our graduates and for good reason. They work with us to build the programs that align with their industry's biggest needs.

    benefits
    • Connect with regional employers who need your talent
    • Learn the skills employers want so you can be successful from day 1
    • Get your foot in the door with paid internships and entry-level jobs so you can qualify for tuition benefits
    • Gain experience while you learn to set you apart from other job applicants
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There's more than one way to do college. Whatever your goal, we can help you learn and grow at your own pace.

So let’s talk about your interests and how college aligns with your life and goals. Let’s talk about careers, industries, and educational options that can get you into them. We’ll help you settle in to college life and prepare you for the career and life you want.

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  • talk with us
    Contact admissions or chat live with a specialist:

    Chat Hours:
    Monday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - Noon
    Friday: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

  • visit cscc

    Register for an in-person or online event or drop in to see our admissions team and tour campus.

    https://cscc.edu/visit

  • Explore Columbus State

    An easy-to-use tool to find course information, programs of study, transfer guides and career information.

    https://explore.cscc.edu/
  • find your way

    See yourself at CState, and we’ll help you find your way to an exciting, well-paid career.

We’ll help you find your way.