<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/96
000 C000000 908836
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 HIGH YIELD FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-7834
001 C000000 5032223600
002 A000000 1301 S.W. 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
022 A000001 SALOMON BROTHERS, INC.
022 B000001 133082694
022 C000001 1203
022 D000001 544
022 A000002 NOMURA SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL
022 B000002 132642206
022 C000002 1335
022 D000002 398
022 A000003 BEAR, STEARNS & CO.
022 B000003 133299429
022 C000003 996
022 D000003 208
022 A000004 BT SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000004 134941247
022 C000004 759
022 D000004 343
022 A000005 FIRST BOSTON CORP. (THE)
022 B000005 135659485
022 C000005 602
022 D000005 464
022 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000006 135108880
022 C000006 606
022 D000006 318
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE
022 B000007 135674085
022 C000007 488
022 D000007 390
022 A000008 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRE
<PAGE> PAGE 2
022 B000008 132741729
022 C000008 635
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 SCHRODER WERTHEIM & CO.
022 B000009 132697272
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 535
022 A000010 NATIONSBANK
022 B000010 750520130
022 C000010 500
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 7386
023 D000000 6321
024 000000 N
028 A010000 1211
028 A020000 145
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 516
028 B010000 918
028 B020000 136
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 1397
028 C010000 776
028 C020000 149
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 766
028 D010000 597
028 D020000 147
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 916
028 E010000 522
028 E020000 152
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 266
028 F010000 474
028 F020000 151
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 345
028 G010000 4498
028 G020000 880
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 4206
028 H000000 0
037 000000 Y
038 000000 11
039 000000 N
040 000000 N
041 000000 N
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
062 D000000 5.5
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 95.1
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 -0.6
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 6.5
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 N
071 A000000 7386
071 B000000 6321
071 C000000 22614
071 D000000 28
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 1094
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 71
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 13
072 I000000 10
072 J000000 1
072 K000000 3
072 L000000 1
072 M000000 0
072 N000000 7
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 8
072 S000000 1
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 3
072 X000000 118
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 976
072AA000000 168
072BB000000 73
<PAGE> PAGE 4
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 895
072DD010000 976
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3998
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 1306
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 22672
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 433
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 24411
074 O000000 498
074 P000000 12
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 58
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 23843
074 U010000 2494
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 9.56
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 1601
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 23810
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 INFORMAION EXTRACTED FROM THE
UNAUDITED SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED 6/30/96 AND THE
AUDITED ANNUAL REPORTS FOR THE COLUMBIA FUNDS DATED 12/31/95, AND IS
QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000908836
<NAME> COLUMBIA HIGH YIELD 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> 22,714,153
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 22,672,020
<RECEIVABLES> 433,558
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 1,305,577
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 24,411,155
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 498,565
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 69,927
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 568,492
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 23,980,759
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 2,494,485
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 2,375,540
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (95,963)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (42,133)
<NET-ASSETS> 23,842,663
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 1,093,912
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (117,510)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 976,402
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 94,675
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (894,805)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 176,272
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (976,402)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 459,260
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (430,706)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 90,391
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 371,696
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (190,638)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 71,275
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 117,510
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 23,809,514
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.88
<PER-SHARE-NII> .40
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.32)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.40)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.56
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .99
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
