More selective than 32% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $37,773. College Scorecard.
Higher than 62% of Iowa colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 40% of Iowa colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Central College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,978 applicants, Central College admitted 1,562 and 274 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1056–1120 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Central College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Central College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Central College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,231 | $67,359 | 3.8 years |
| $30–48k | $16,237 | $67,384 | 3.8 years |
| $48–75k | $19,532 | $81,058 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $21,936 | $91,034 | 5.2 years |
| $110k+ | $27,165 | $112,735 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,317) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,656 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Central College majors, earnings & careers
Central College offers 36 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Central College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $89,838 | — |
| Accounting | $86,868 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $68,021 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $59,597 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $56,941 | $27,000 |
| Sociology | $51,996 | $25,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $51,814 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $51,671 | — |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Accounting$86,868
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$59,597
- Business Administration$68,021
- Chemistry—
- Communications$51,671
- Computer Science$89,838
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,707
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- German—
- History—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$51,814
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Natural Sciences—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$56,941
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology$51,996
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Pella
2 bedrooms $1,021.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 36 inches of rain a year, 29 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Marion County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Marion County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Central College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central College | 86% | $23,377 | 66% | $54,317 | This school |
| Simpson College | 86% | $21,936 | 63% | $59,274 | |
| Northwestern College | 80% | $25,907 | 66% | $49,802 | |
| Cornell College | 80% | $23,634 | 62% | $53,460 | |
| Mount Mercy University | 83% | $20,168 | 58% | $60,787 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Central College would cost you $1,441 more per year than Simpson College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Central College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$26,668).
- Simpson College gives aided families $24,895 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Central College | Simpson College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $20,988 | $47,656 | −$26,668 |
| Books & supplies | $1,275 | $1,134 | +$141 |
| Housing & meals | $12,220 | $10,088 | +$2,132 |
| Personal & travel | $3,242 | $4,130 | −$888 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$48 | −$1,781 | +$1,829 |
| Sticker price | $37,773 | $61,227 | −$23,454 |
| Average grants | −$14,396 | −$39,291 | +$24,895 |
| You pay | $23,377 | $21,936 | +$1,441 |
“+” means Central College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Central College
What is the Central College acceptance rate?
Central College accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,562 of 1,978 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1056–1120 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
How much does Central College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $37,773 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,377 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,231 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,165.
How much do Central College graduates earn?
Former Central College students earn a median $54,317 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Central College graduation rate?
66% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
How long does a Central College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Central College costs about $81,058 after grants ($19,532 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,317 ten years after starting, $17,656 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 4.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Central College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Central College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Central College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/central-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).