Liberal arts college
#2 Best colleges in KentuckyCentre College
Danville, KY · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $20,781 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#51 of 906
- Best colleges in America#178 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#144 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#153 of 1,481
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#189 of 1,829
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#146 of 1,358
Show 12 more
- Best colleges for English in America#143 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#146 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#140 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#149 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#147 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#145 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#141 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#100 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#63 of 430
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#105 of 690
- Best colleges for economics in America#144 of 788
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#158 of 682
In Kentucky
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Kentucky#1 of 29
- Best colleges in Kentucky#2 of 29
- Best colleges for psychology in Kentucky#2 of 26
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Kentucky#2 of 25
- Best test-optional colleges in Kentucky#2 of 25
- Best colleges for English in Kentucky#2 of 24
Show 8 more
- Best colleges for history in Kentucky#2 of 23
- Best colleges for mathematics in Kentucky#2 of 23
- Best colleges for art and design in Kentucky#2 of 22
- Best colleges for chemistry in Kentucky#2 of 21
- Best colleges for music in Kentucky#2 of 20
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Kentucky#2 of 20
- Best small colleges in Kentucky#2 of 18
- Best colleges for economics in Kentucky#2 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.81%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.88%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,352 · ACT 28.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$24,174
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 yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $67,787 a year.
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) | 1,356 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 20% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 43% |
| Total students | 1,356 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $20,781 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $67,787 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 81% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 82% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 83% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 80% |
| First-year retention | 88% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $66,240 |
| Admission rate | 54% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 23% |
| Average SAT | 1352 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 590–720 |
| SAT math | 570–730 |
| ACT composite | 25–32 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 41% (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 | |
| Economics | |
| Global studies | |
| History |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Data Science, English, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, German, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Psychology, Religious studies, Romance languages, Sociology and Anthropology, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology | |
| Physical sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,640 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Southern Athletic Asssociation |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 92%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $289,653Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Blue Grass Airport (LEX)About 29 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 17,3272020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Lexington-FayetteAbout 32 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 33°F1991–2020 normal, from DANVILLE, KY US, about 1 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 76°F1991–2020 normal, from DANVILLE, KY US, about 1 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 7.12 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Centre College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 10% 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 Centre College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $20,781 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 Centre College?
- Centre College admitted 54% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Centre College’s graduates do?
- 81% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $66,240; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 156408
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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