Central College

www.central.edu

Add Comparison

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$20,988

2024 Average Net Price

$23,848

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

86.2%

1,706 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

1,084

97% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

66.2%

184 Graduates

About

Central College is a higher education institution located in Marion County, IA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Central College were General Business Administration & Management (48 degrees awarded), Exercise Physiology (38 degrees), and Elementary Education & Teaching (19 degrees).

In 2024, 284 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Central College. 50.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (251 degrees), 31.4 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (8 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Central College is $20,988, which is $−7,190 less than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Central College is $20,988, which is $7,190 less than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $23,848.

In 2024, 97% of undergraduate students attending Central College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$20,988

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at Central College was $20,988. The cost of tuition at Central College is $−7,190 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Central College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$23,848

2024 Value

1 Year Growth

In 2024 Central College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $23,848. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Central College grew by 6%.

This chart compares the average net price of Central College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$12,060

Room and Board

$1,335

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Central College was of $12,060 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 11% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,335. The cost of books and supplies increased by 4.71% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Central College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

97%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

70%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

97% of undergraduate students at Central College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 3% with respect to 2023, when 100% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Central College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

Central College received 1,706 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 13.8% annual growth. Out of those 1,706 applicants, 1,470 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 86.2% acceptance rate.

There were 1,084 students enrolled at Central College in 2024. 3% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Central College has an overall enrollment yield of 21%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

86.2%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

1,470

Accepted Out of 1,706

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Central College was 86.2% (1,470 admissions from 1,706 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 79%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants declined by 13.8%, while admissions declined by 5.89%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Central College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

Submission Percentage (2024)

Scores Submitted (2024)

3% of enrolled first-time students at Central College in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Central College had a total enrollment of 1,084 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Central College is 1,051 students and the part-time enrollment is 33. This means that 97% of students enrolled at Central College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Central College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 87.8% White, 4.43% Hispanic or Latino, 3.14% Two or More Races, 1.94% Black or African American, 0.369% Asian, and 0.185% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Central College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (46.7%), followed by White Female (41%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (3.15%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

97%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Central College in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,084 students. The full-time enrollment at Central College is 1,051 and the part-time enrollment is 33. This means that 97% of students enrolled at Central College are enrolled full-time compared with 78.9% at similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Central College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

80%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Central College was 80%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (75%), Central College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Central College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
952 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
48 enrolled students
Two or More Races
34 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Central College is 87.8% White, 4.43% Hispanic or Latino, 3.14% Two or More Races, 1.94% Black or African American, 0.369% Asian, and 0.185% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 50.5% White, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.2% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 21 students (1.94%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 4 more women than men received degrees from Central College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Central College is white (251 degrees awarded). There were 31.4 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (8 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Central College is General Business Administration & Management (48 degrees awarded), followed by Exercise Physiology (38 degrees) and Elementary Education & Teaching (19 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Central College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Biology (64 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (7 degrees), and Natural Resources & Conservation (6 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Central College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (456,663 people), Physicians (447,860 people), Other managers (419,182 people), Postsecondary teachers (250,295 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (245,047 people).

The most specialized majors at Central College in 2024 are Biology (64 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (7 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (6 degrees), Social Sciences (30 degrees), and History (5 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Central College are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at Central College are Biology (64 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (7 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (6 degrees), Social Sciences (30 degrees), and History (5 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Central College are Elementary & secondary schools (638,736 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (634,148 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (607,941 people), Legal services (361,568 people), and Computer Systems Design (293,969 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Central College.

Most Common (2024)

General Business Administration & Management
48 degrees awarded
Exercise Physiology
38 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
19 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Central College was General Business Administration & Management with 48 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Central College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

140

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

144

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 140 degrees were awarded to men at Central College, which is 0.972 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (144).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Central College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 36 degrees were awarded to men at Central College in General Business Administration & Management, which is 3 times more than the 12 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 21 degrees were awarded to men at Central College in Exercise Physiology, which is 1.24 times more than the 17 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

68%

100% Completion Time

71%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 68% of students graduating from Central College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 71% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 72% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Baccalaureate Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
251 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
8 degrees awarded
Black or African American
7 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Central College is white (251 degrees awarded). There were 31.4 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (8 degrees).

1.76% of degree recipients (5 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
208 degrees awarded
White Female
183 degrees awarded
White Female
183 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Central College is white female (208 degrees awarded). There were 1.14 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (183 degrees).

Operations

Central College has an endowment valued at nearly $98.9M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 1.57M (1.59%) compared to the 7.58% average return (3.75M on 49.5M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2024, Central College had a total salary expenditure of 45.6M. Central College employs 29 Professors, 28 Associate professors and 15 Lecturers. Most academics at Central College are Male Professor (17), Female Associate professor (14), and Male Associate professor (14).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Central College are: Service, with 59 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 55 employees, and Management with 35 employees.

Endowment

$98.9M

2024 Endowment

3.62%

growth from 2023

Central College has an endowment valued at about $98.9M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Central College grew 3.62% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $49.5M higher than than the median endowment of Baccalaureate Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Central College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$18.9M

2024 Salaries

2.15%

decline from 2023

In 2024, Central College paid a median of $18.9M in salaries, which represents 41.5% of their overall expenditure ($45.6M) and a 2.15% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 3.55% decline between 2022 and 2023, and a 2.66% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$5.95M

Instructional Salaries

Number of Employees

In 2024, Central College paid a total of $5.95M to 85 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $522k (3.48%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Central College were Service with 59 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 55 employees, and Management with 35 employees.

Keep Exploring

Whittier College

University

College of Saint Benedict

University

Simpson College

University

Westminster College (216807)

University

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

University