Liberal arts college
Central College
Pella, IA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $23,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,984 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.66%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,147 · ACT 23
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,107
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $37,773 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,095 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 55% · Women 45% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 21% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 28% |
| Total students | 1,095 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $23,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $37,773 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,984 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 66% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 59% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 54% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 77% |
| First-year retention | 80% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $54,317 |
| Admission rate | 86% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $25 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $808 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1147 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 528–560 |
| SAT math | 528–560 |
| ACT composite | 20–26 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Teacher education |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Anthropology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering (general), English, Fine arts, German, Global studies, History, Information science, Interdisciplinary studies, Management science, Mathematics, Music, Natural Sciences, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physics, Physiology and pathology, Political science, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Social sciences, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Education | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $12,060 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · American Rivers Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 12%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 81%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $89,893IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)About 39 miles away · about 1 hour 10 minutes by car |
| Town population | 10,720Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | OmahaAbout 163 miles away · about 3 hours 35 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 21°F in January · 75°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Knoxville, IA, about 11 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is Central College’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 37% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Central College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $23,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Central College?
- Central College admitted 86% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Central College’s graduates do?
- 66% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $54,317; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,984.
Ask the school
Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.
Reviews
Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.
No reviews yet.
Sign in to write a review.
My rating and notes
Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.
About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 153108
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Reformed Church in America
- Report an error or a newer source
- Respond as this school
Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Central vs Hanover · Central vs Linfield · Central vs College of Saint Benedict · Central vs Washington & Jefferson
More in Iowa · Iowa rankings