<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0876606
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 COMMON STOCK FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-6341
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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
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 12
019 C000000 COLUMBIAFD
020 A000001 MONTGOMERY SECURITIES
020 B000001 941701676
020 C000001 145
020 A000002 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
020 B000002 135108880
020 C000002 133
020 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000003 132518466
020 C000003 114
020 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
020 B000004 132655998
020 C000004 91
020 A000005 BEAR, STEARNS & CO.
020 B000005 133299429
020 C000005 83
020 A000006 MORGAN (JP) SECURITIES
020 B000006 133224016
020 C000006 69
020 A000007 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRE
020 B000007 132741729
020 C000007 64
020 A000008 FIRST BOSTON CORP.
020 B000008 135659485
020 C000008 59
020 A000009 MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000009 135674085
020 C000009 52
020 A000010 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON
020 B000010 131912900
020 C000010 46
021 000000 1267
022 A000001 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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022 D000002 11287
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022 D000003 11378
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
022 B000004 135674085
022 C000004 4674
022 D000004 5655
022 A000005 SALOMON BROTHERS
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022 C000005 5966
022 D000005 1033
022 A000006 CANTOR FITZGERALD & CO.
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022 C000006 0
022 D000006 5789
022 A000007 BEAR, STEARNS & CO.
022 B000007 133299429
022 C000007 5023
022 D000007 7
022 A000008 PRUDENTIAL BACH SECURITIES
022 B000008 222347336
022 C000008 2370
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022 C000009 1127
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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073 A010000 0.2300
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
074 E000000 0
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074 R030000 0
074 R040000 2242
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 536760
074 U010000 27863
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 19.26
074 V020000 0.00
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075 A000000 0
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077 A000000 Y
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080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
080 C000000 15000
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SIGNATURE GEORGE HANSETH
TITLE SR VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE
AUDITED ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED DECEMBER 31, 1996, AND
THE AUDITED ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED DECEMBER 31, 1995,
AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000876606
<NAME> COLUMBIA COMMON STOCK FUND
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 449,007,291
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 509,895,400
<RECEIVABLES> 7,088,988
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 22,288,098
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 539,272,486
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 2,512,684
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 2,512,684
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 474,912,148
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 27,863,379
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 19,288,675
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 901,158
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 58,387
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 60,888,109
<NET-ASSETS> 536,759,802
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 8,813,867
<INTEREST-INCOME> 468,218
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3,396,884
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,885,201
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 70,666,274
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 8,532,253
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 85,083,728
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 5,194,375
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 70,763,939
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 9,187,403
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 4,449,235
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 3,836,536
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 178,237,078
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 395,967
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (42,896)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2,686,585
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,396,884
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 444,915,740
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 18.59
<PER-SHARE-NII> .25
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 3.61
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> .23
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 2.96
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 19.26
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .76
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
