Rankings ===
For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Columbus State No.64 out of 136 Regional Universities South, No.30
in Top Public Schools, and No.36 in Best Value Schools.
== Student life ==
In addition to co-educational intramural and recreational programs, students participate in more than a hundred chartered student groups, sororities, fraternities, honor societies, club sports, and special-interest clubs.
=== Newspaper ===
"The Uproar" is the university's official student-run newspaper. It is distributed on all Columbus State campuses and throughout the city of Columbus.
=== Athletics ===
Columbus State University, home of Cougar Athletics, has many types of men's and women's athletics, including basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, and cross country. All sports compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Peach Belt Conference. Rifle competed as an associate member of the Ohio Valley Conference in NCAA Division I until after the 2014–15 school year, when the program was dropped. …