Central College
Pella, IA · Private
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Central College admitted 86.2% of applicants university-wide (1,470 of 1,706).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 86.2% | 1,470 | 1,706 |
| In-state | 89.8% | 879 | 979 |
| Out-of-state | 81.3% | 591 | 727 |
| Men | 87.1% | 821 | 943 |
| Women | 85.3% | 643 | 754 |
Also offers Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 1,470 admitted students, 309 enrolled (21.0% yield).
Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1056–1120
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 20–26
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $38,719/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $21,934 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $16,785 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $38,719/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $16,231 |
| $30k–48k | $16,237 |
| $48k–75k | $19,532 |
| $75k–110k | $21,936 |
| Over $110k | $27,165 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Cumulative GPA Based Scholarship — $4,000 - $8,000 (Merit)
- Cumulative GPA Based Scholarships — $4,000–$8,000 (Merit)
- Scholar Day Award — $500 - $2,000 (Merit)
- Scholar Day Awards — $500–$2,000 (Merit)
- Journey Scholarship — $1,000 (Automatic)
- Heritage Award — $500 (Other)
- Heritage Awards — $500 (Other)
- Full-Tuition Scholarship — full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Full-Tuition Scholarships — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
Some aid available for internationals.
- Cumulative GPA Based Scholarship — $4,000 - $8,000 (Merit)
- Cumulative GPA Based Scholarships — $4,000–$8,000 (Merit)
- Scholar Day Award — $500 - $2,000 (Merit)
- Scholar Day Awards — $500–$2,000 (Merit)
- Journey Scholarship — $1,000 (Automatic)
- Heritage Award — $500 (Other)
- Heritage Awards — $500 (Other)
- Full-Tuition Scholarship — full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Full-Tuition Scholarships — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Unofficial high school transcript
- Application fee
International applicants
- Unofficial high school transcript
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Central College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $54,317
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 66.2%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 79.9%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $26,984
- At graduation
Central College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #131
- Niche: #754
Deadlines
- 2027-08-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (23%), Social sciences (11%), Biological & life sciences (9%).
Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 61% of class sections have under 20 students.
Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.