Founded in 1851, Columbia College has been helping students advance their lives through higher education for more than 160 years. As a private, nonprofit, coeducational liberal arts and sciences college, the college takes pride in its small classes, experienced faculty and quality educational programs.Originally founded as Christian Female College, the college was the first women's college west of the Mississippi River to be chartered by a state legislature. The college changed its name to Columbia College in 1970 when it transitioned from a two-year women's college to a four-year coeducational college.