Columbus State University

Columbus State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The university has received special recognition for its business school, which offers a reputable MBA program, as well as for its servant leadership program. The department of theatre also boasts the only accredited teacher education and certification program in drama in the state of Georgia. Additionally, in 2008 the music department received the Regents Teaching Excellence Award for Departments and Programs from the University System of Georgia.

The university recruits from all fifty states as well as every major metropolitan area in the state of Georgia. Because of the school's international education programs, presently offering exchanges to more than thirteen countries, the university has been known to be a popular destination for international students including those from India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The university operates the Coca-Cola Space Science Center which hosts student and public programs. Its facilities include the Omnisphere Theater (a planetarium) and the Mead Observatory.

The university also operates the Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center which hosts student and public programs. Its facilities include two nature trails, a bee exhibit, a live alligator, various live raptors, various live reptiles, a live opossum, and a Native American exhibit. Each month, the center hosts its Second Sunday on the second Sunday of each month which is a special program open to the public at a small fee. Programs include the annual Insectival, Reptile Fest, Natural Holiday Decorations, Hummingbirds, Bees and Honey, and Bats.