<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/96
000 C000000 773599
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 COLUMBIA SPECIAL FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-4362
001 C000000 5032223600
002 A000000 1301 SW FIFTH AVENUE
002 B000000 PORTLAND
002 C000000 OR
002 D010000 97201
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
020 A000001 INSTINET CORP.
020 B000001 133443395
020 C000001 246
020 A000002 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000002 132518466
020 C000002 204
020 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES
020 B000003 133224016
020 C000003 150
020 A000004 BROWN (ALEX) & SONS, INC.
020 B000004 521319768
020 C000004 103
020 A000005 MONTGOMERY SECURITIES
020 B000005 941701676
020 C000005 102
020 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS
020 B000006 135108880
020 C000006 94
020 A000007 FIRST BOSTON CORP. (THE)
020 B000007 135659485
020 C000007 84
020 A000008 WEEDEN & CO., LP
020 B000008 133364318
020 C000008 77
020 A000009 COUNTY NATWEST GOVERNMENT
020 B000009 133312778
020 C000009 73
020 A000010 SALOMON BROTHERS
020 B000010 133082694
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 C000010 66
021 000000 1799
022 A000001 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO., INC.
022 B000001 135108880
022 C000001 57348
022 D000001 49875
022 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
022 B000002 132655998
022 C000002 49983
022 D000002 43168
022 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE
022 B000003 135674085
022 C000003 38004
022 D000003 41089
022 A000004 BROWN (ALEX) & SONS, INC.
022 B000004 521319768
022 C000004 41671
022 D000004 33642
022 A000005 FIRST BOSTON CORP. (THE)
022 B000005 135659485
022 C000005 20191
022 D000005 36084
022 A000006 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON
022 B000006 131912900
022 C000006 33456
022 D000006 22748
022 A000007 MONTGOMERY SECURITIES
022 B000007 941701676
022 C000007 19704
022 D000007 21304
022 A000008 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
022 B000008 133299429
022 C000008 20210
022 D000008 17921
022 A000009 WESSELLS, ARNOLD & HENDERS
022 B000009 411554568
022 C000009 25703
022 D000009 11572
022 A000010 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000010 132518466
022 C000010 22147
022 D000010 5447
023 C000000 550870
023 D000000 460088
024 000000 Y
025 A000001 ALEX. BROWN, INC.
025 B000001 521319768
025 C000001 E
025 D000001 14125
025 A000002 DELETE
025 D000002 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
028 A010000 56540
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 31685
028 B010000 50722
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 40360
028 C010000 33987
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 40223
028 D010000 72103
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 52836
028 E010000 59487
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 29200
028 F010000 51616
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 72658
028 G010000 324455
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 266962
028 H000000 0
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 N
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 N
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 1051457
071 B000000 1040140
071 C000000 1486542
071 D000000 70
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 1464
072 C000000 2684
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 6372
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 57
072 I000000 301
<PAGE> PAGE 5
072 J000000 62
072 K000000 96
072 L000000 40
072 M000000 9
072 N000000 53
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 11
072 S000000 1
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 26
072 X000000 7028
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 -2880
072AA000000 212640
072BB000000 58835
072CC010000 16355
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 67471
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 1536924
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 22346
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2582
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 1629323
074 O000000 17980
074 P000000 1129
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 1026
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1609188
<PAGE> PAGE 6
074 U010000 67042
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 24.00
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 55012
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1535905
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
SIGNATURE GEORGE HANSETH
TITLE SR. VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE
UNAUDITED SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED 06/30/96, AND THE
AUDITED ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED 12/31/95, AND IS
QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000773599
<NAME> COLUMBIA SPECIAL FUND, INC.
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1,319,334,547
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1,536,923,545
<RECEIVABLES> 24,927,876
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 67,471,064
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,629,322,485
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 17,980,185
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 2,154,717
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 20,134,902
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1,243,166,638
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 67,041,588
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 64,573,734
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (2,932,060)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 151,364,007
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 217,588,998
<NET-ASSETS> 1,609,187,583
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 2,684,271
<INTEREST-INCOME> 1,463,773
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (7,028,287)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (2,880,243)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 153,804,567
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 16,355,015
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 167,279,339
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 14,066,418
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (11,598,564)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 224,772,548
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> (51,817)
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (2,440,560)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 6,371,669
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 7,028,287
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1,535,904,902
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 21.44
<PER-SHARE-NII> (.04)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 2.60
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 24.00
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .92
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
