Central: Where Academic Rigor Meets Empathy and Personal Excellence
- Located in Pella, Iowa – 40 minutes southeast of Des Moines
- Founded in 1853
- Campus includes nearly 50 major buildings on 200 acres
- Douwstra Auditorium has been a gathering place for concerts, lectures, convocation and more.
- The Roe Center is a platinum LEED-rated (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building and houses education, political science, psychology, and sociology programs.
- Vermeer Science Center earned Iowa’s first LEED rating, a silver medal, from the U.S. Green Building Council.
- Maytag Student Center features a fireside lounge, fitness center, Fred’s café and Central College Spirit Shoppe and student support offices.
- McKee Hall, an apartment-style residence hall, earned Central’s second LEED rating, a gold medal.
- Scholte Hall is Central’s largest residence hall.
- Weller Center for Business and International Studies features many environmentally friendly classrooms and offices.
- Central Market is Iowa’s most original dining hall with a unique European marketplace design.
- Ron Schipper Fitness Center is a state-of-the-art fitness center available to all students. It’s located in the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex.
- Geisler Library holds 160,000 volumes and is home to the Global Café at Geisler, which offers coffee, and snacks.
- Kruidenier Center hosts two performance theatres where numerous performances and productions showcase our musical theatre majors.
- Lubbers Center for the Visual Arts includes a glassblowing studio. Central is the only four-year institution in Iowa with glassblowing as a regular course offering and is the only private school in Iowa with glassblowing.
- The Chapel is home to Central’s Campus Ministries program, which is open to all.
- P.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex was recently transformed and includes:
- S. Kuyper Fieldhouse with an indoor track and tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts
- Ron Schipper Fitness Center
- Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium
- Competition soccer field with separate men’s and women’s practice fields
- Ryerson Golf Practice Range, one of the only golf practice facilities on a college campus in Iowa
- 8,000-meter cross- country course on campus
- P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium
- Baseball and softball game fields
- Tennis course
- Wrestling Center
National Accolades and Recognition:
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- #4 Best Value College in Iowa — Niche, 2024
- #9 Best Professors in Iowa and One of the Colleges with the Best Professors in America — Niche, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges or Universities in Iowa — Wallet Hub, Research.com, CollegeSimply, U.S. News and World Report, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges in America — Money.com, U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, 2024
- Top 10 Best College Locations in Iowa and One of the Best College Locations in America — Niche, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America — Niche, Appily, CollegeSimply, Prepler, 2024
- One of the Best Value Colleges in America for Accounting and Business Management — College Factual, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges for Environmental Science in Iowa — EduRank, Niche, Universities.com, Appliy, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges for Education in Iowa — Appliy, Niche, 2024
- One of the Best Undergrad Engineering Programs — U.S. News and World Report, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges for Athletics and Student-Athletes in America — Niche, 2024
- One of the Safest College Campuses in America — Niche, 2024
- One of the Best College Campuses and Dorms in America — Niche, 2024
- One of the Top Performers on Social Mobility—U.S. News and World Report, 2024
- Best Colleges for Education in America, Niche.com, 2023
- One of the Best Christian Colleges and Universities — Edsmart.org, 2023
- Accredited by
- Higher Learning Commission (org; 800-621-7440)
- State of Iowa Board of Education
- Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET
- National Association of Schools of Music
- Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- Certified by the American Chemical Society
Students
- Total enrollment: 1,084
- Number of states represented in student body: 29
- Foreign countries represented in student body: 5
- Average aid (including scholarships, grants, work study and federal loans) awarded to all incoming freshman in 2024-25: $19,420
- 6-year graduation rate: 66%
Faculty
- Total full-time and part-time faculty: 107
- D. degree or terminal degree: 73.8 percent
- Faculty-student ratio: 12:1
- Average class size: 16
New, first-year student admission profile (Fall 2024)
- Total applications: 1,706, total acceptances: 1;470, final enrollment: 309 (177 men; 131 women)
- Reformed Church in America students: 34
- Percent in top 10 percent of high school class: 19 percent
- ACT composite score average: 22.8
- Average HS GPA: 3.56
- Percentage entering with AP or college credit: 67 percent.
Financial aid profile, entire student body
- Receiving need-based aid: 58.13 percent
- Receiving scholarship and grant aid: 98.22 percent
Music program
- Central’s music department is committed to providing both majors and non-majors a variety of musical performance opportunities: A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers, College-Community Chorus, College-Community Orchestra, Flying Pans Steel Drum Band, Pep Band, Dutch Boom Drumline, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and more.
- Performances are held in the Cox-Snow Recital Hall, Douwstra Auditorium, and the Chapel.
Athletics program
- Central College is affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division III) and the American Rivers Conference for men and women. Central student-athletes have captured 11 NCAA Division III championships, 37 NCAA Division III national individual titles, 188 conference team championships, 83 national top-10 team finishes, 73 CSC Academic All-America®, 26 NCAA postgraduate scholarships and 10 NCAA Division III player of the year awards.