Beacon University was a small, private university located in the Southeast section of Columbus. Beacon enrolled about 130 undergraduate students. Associate degrees were offered in the arts and humanities; bachelor's degrees in arts and humanities, business and social sciences; and master's degrees in arts and humanities and business. Beacon University's goal was to educate and release Christian leaders into the world to serve. The university closed in March 2011.
Columbus State University, Strayer University and University of Phoenix all have campuses in Columbus, Georgia. While Columbus State University exhibits the traditional college setting, Strayer University and University of Phoenix cater to working adults. Certificate programs are offered at Strayer and Columbus State, and all three schools also offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs in numerous fields. University of Phoenix and Strayer University are private for-profit universities that cater mainly to distance learners, but there are physical campuses for these schools in Columbus; Columbus State University is a public state university.
The most popular source of secondary education in Columbus, Georgia is through five technical colleges, three of which are beauty schools. Columbus Technical College and Miller-Motte Technical College offer certificates and associate degrees in trades such as nursing, culinary arts and communications. Meanwhile, Rivertown School of Beauty and two Southeastern Beauty School campuses, offer certificates in cosmetology.
Georgia Military College is a junior college where students can earn their associate degree in a liberal arts program designed to lead students into their undergraduate program. On top of this, Georgia Military College has an ROTC program and a military training component. Georgia Military College is unique in that it also has a separate preparatory school for students in grades six through 12. Both schools are public independent educational institutions.