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University or college · Private nonprofit

Central College

Pella, IA

Central College is a private nonprofit college in Pella, IA, with about 1,095 students on campus.

Visit www.central.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,095
1,095 undergrad
Admission rate
86%
higher than at 67% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$23,377
higher than at 66% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
66%
higher than at 70% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$54,317
higher than at 77% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Central College

Easy to get into, and most students finish

Central College admits 86% of applicants, yet 66% of students graduate, more than at 70% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Central College’s biggest bachelor’s programs, accounting graduates earn a median $86,868 four years out. Teacher education and professional development graduates earn $50,707. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
66%
within 6 years · Pell students 59%
Come back for year two
80%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$54,317
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,984
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $4,093 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

77%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 93% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$51k
Middle income$30–75k
$51k
Higher incomeover $75k
$57k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Central College?

86%

of applicants admitted

About 17 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
528–560
SAT math
528–560
ACT
20–26

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1147.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $37,773 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $20,988Room & board $12,060Books & supplies $1,335Other costs $3,390

After grants, the average family on aid pays $23,377.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$19,532

About $78,128 over 4 years · 48% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

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

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations42 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$68k4 yrs out
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences41 graduates a year
—not reported
Biology, General31 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$60k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods18 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$51k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services16 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$87k4 yrs out
Sociology14 graduates a year · typical debt $24,500
$52k4 yrs out
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics13 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
—not reported
Psychology, General11 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$57k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,070 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 88%Hispanic 4%Black 2%Two or more 3%

Women and men

Women 45%Men 55%
11 : 1
students per teacher
22%
get Pell grants (lower income)
70%
take federal loans
1%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Pella

15% of Pella’s 10,992 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Pella pages.

Pella →
PellaPella, IA
$1,046/momedian rent · 8% above the state$359Ktypical home valueB+Safety Grade13° / 85°January low / July high · 30" of snowAHealth GradeAll colleges in and near PellaCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Central College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

William Penn UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Oskaloosa
15.6 mi1,164 students
Grinnell CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Grinnell
26.1 mi1,775 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.