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Pella , IA
Central College is a private liberal arts college located in Pella, Iowa. Founded in 1853, it is one of the oldest institutions in the state. The college prides itself on offering a well-rounded education, combining academic excellence with a strong commitment to community, leadership, and global engagement. Central College has a beautiful 130-acre campus with state-of-the-art facilities, providing students with an inclusive and supportive environment to thrive academically and socially.
At Central College, students have a wide range of academic programs to choose from. The college offers more than 70 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs in fields such as business, education, science, arts, humanities, and social sciences. The faculty members are highly dedicated and experienced professionals who work closely with students to ensure their success. Small class sizes enable personalized attention and foster meaningful relationships between professors and students.
Central College is also known for its commitment to a well-rounded college experience. The college offers numerous opportunities for students to get involved in extracurricular activities, including athletics, clubs, and organizations. The Dutch compete as a part of the NCAA Division III in 20 different sports, fostering teamwork and competitive spirit. In addition, the college encourages community service and provides opportunities for students to engage in volunteer work locally, nationally, and internationally, fostering a sense of global citizenship. Central College is an ideal place for students seeking a comprehensive education that combines academic rigor, personal growth, and active engagement with the community.
Central College is a private four-year college located in Pella, IA. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 86%. The freshman retention rate at Central College is 79.93% and the six-year graduation rate is 66%.
For freshmen, the application deadline for this school is August 1. Learn more about what Central College has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
1,084
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
$21,934
Tuition
12:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
66%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
Knowing as much as possible about the institution's criteria for admission increases your chances of getting admitted. How difficult is it to get admitted to Central College and what are the admission requirements?
According to the newest data, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 1,470 in 2025.
Test Scores
3% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 42% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 100% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,000 and 1,199. The percent of freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 5.34, 43.51 between 24-29, 41.98 in the range between 18-23, 8.4 between 12-17, and 0.77 between 6-11.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.56. Therefore, the chances are that you'll need a GPA higher than the average for acceptance,.
Deadlines
Be sure to apply to this school by August 1.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is the percentage of college or university newcomers who return for their sophomore year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Central College was 79.93%, a clear indication of the excellence and value of the educational experience at this school.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. The six-year completion rate at this institution is 66%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Making the choice of which school is the best fit for you is not simple. You can get a better insight into a school's culture and life by finding out more about its student body.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school enrolled 1,084 students.
The school reported an out-of-state student body portion of 25% for that year. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution was 1,084, 2 of which were international students. 27 students were admitted as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 572 male and 477 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
In order to promote a sense of inclusion and belonging among its students, higher education is dedicated to increasing student diversity. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
This school had 3 Asian students and 13 Afro-American students in 2025. 35 undergrads at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 25 identified with more than one race. There were also 19 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before you send an application to any college or university, you should take into account the financial component. Here are some important facts on Central College costs that most students encounter at this school.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some numbers that can help you better understand the estimated tuition price for this university.
Tuition fees per academic year for full-time domestic students were $21,934 in 2025. Since Central College is a private institution, tuition is the same for all the accepted students.
Books and Supplies
Another important expense to take into consideration is the estimated price of books and supplies for a college or university. The approximate price of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $1,335.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. How much do room and board fees average around at colleges and universities?
At Central College, the 2025 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $12,060. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school stood at $5,800, according to the data from 2025. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was also $5,800.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 21,934 |
| Room and Board | $ 12,060 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,335 |
| Total Expense | $ 35,329 |
Financial Aid
There are different types of financial help: grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. If you want to find out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Central College, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 195 freshmen. Students of this school received an average of $19,865 in financial help.
Need-based
Financial aid that a student can receive if they are determined to have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements is known as need-based aid.
There were 611 students who got need-based financial aid of any kind. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Central College is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was 613. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution added up to $1,513,616, and state $2,676,500. The students of Central College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $5,119,004, and external in the amount of $266,992.
$9,071
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 173 students overall (including freshmen) at Central College in 2025. 73 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $1,513,616 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $260,268. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $4,022,074. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $256,522 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
12:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty or student-to-professor ratio is the number of students compared to the number of professors at a school.
In 2025, this ratio at Central College was 12:1. That means that there were 12 times more students than teachers at this school. According to the most recent information, there are 107 faculty members at this school. Out of that number, there were 49 men and 58 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school is telling of the importance gender equality has at Central College.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Not everything at Central College is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some information about students' life at Central College.
Student Organizations
Being a member of a student organization will make you connect better with your fellow students and enjoy your college years more.
In case you're interested in acting, there is a drama club you can consider joining.
FAQ
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Central College is located in Pella, IA.
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Central College offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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According to the latest information, the tuition for Central College is 21,934 USD a year.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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According to the latest information, the acceptance rate for Central College is 86%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for Central College is 79.93%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2025 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2025 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
