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Colleges in and near Pella

Pella is a college town: 15 of every 100 residents are students

Central College (1,095 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town15% of residents are studentsCentral College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Pella. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,095 students on campus
Nearest college
0.3 mi
Central College
Residents in college
15%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
36.8 mi
Indian Hills · $5,040 tuition
Nearest public university
57.1 mi
Iowa State · $10,787 in-state
Students on campus in Pella
1,095
next to 10,992 residents

What stands out about college in Pella

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town15 of every 100 Pella residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A college in PellaCentral College has 1,095 students on campus in Pella, 66% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 36.8 miles awayIndian Hills Community College in Ottumwa: tuition and fees $5,040 a year for Iowa residents.In-state price at Iowa StateLiving in Iowa, Iowa State University charges $10,787 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $28,881. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Pella

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

15 of every 100 Pella residents are in college (IA: 6).

1,095students on campus at Central College, next to 10,992 residents (dorm students count as residents)
445college students live in Pella households rather than dorms
35.2median age · IA 38.6
52%of residents are men · IA 50% (±2 points)
38%of homes rented · IA 28%
$1,046median rent · 8% above the state
PellaPella, IA
Cost of living$1,046/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB+HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Pella’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 6.0% of Pella residents are below the poverty line, 5.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 8% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 15%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Pella’s median age is 35.2 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Pella

One private college within 0.3 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Iowa State University, is 57.1 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miCentral CollegePella
University or collegeCommunity college
Central CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,095 on campus · In Pella86%admitted$23knet price66%graduate$54kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Pella’s median household income ($84,111) falls.

Iowa State University57.1 mi · Ames · sticker $24,018$19,605a year
Central CollegeIn Pella · sticker $37,773$21,936a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Central CollegeIowa State
Iowa State University75% graduate$63k earnings$23k typical debt
Central College66% graduate$54k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Pella

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Central College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Parks & recreation 21%Business 20%Biology 10%Social sciences 7%Education 7%Psychology 6%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations42 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Biology, General31 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods18 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services16 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Sociology14 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Psychology, General11 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies10 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Computer Science8 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Pella

Is Pella a college town?

Yes. 15 of every 100 Pella residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. Central College has 1,095 students on campus, next to 10,992 residents.

What colleges are in Pella?

Central College is inside the city. Indian Hills Community College is 36.8 miles away in Ottumwa.

Why is Pella’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 6.0% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 5.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Pella, and what does it cost?

Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, 36.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,040 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $10,693, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Central College?

Central College admitted 86% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,056–1,120 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Pella. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →