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.
- 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
- H. Kuyper Gymnasium
- Baseball and softball game fields
- Tennis course
- Wrestling Center
National Accolades and Recognition:
- #4 Best Value College in Iowa — Niche, 2024
- One of the Best Value Colleges in America — College Factual, Research.com, 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, U.S. News and World Report, 2024
- One of the Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America, Niche, College Factual, 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 Athletics and Student-Athletes 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
- One of the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs — U.S. News and World Report, 2024
- #1 Ranked College in Iowa for Environmental Studies — College Factual, 2022
- Best Colleges for Education in America, Niche.com, 2023
- One of the Best Christian Colleges and Universities — Edsmart.org, 2023
- One of only six Iowa private colleges or universities with an undergraduate chemistry program approved by the American Chemical Society.
- 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: 1,095
- 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 2021-22: $19,420
- 6-year graduation rate: 68%
Faculty
- Total full-time and part-time faculty: 102
- D. degree or terminal degree: 74.5 percent
- Faculty-student ratio: 12:1
- Average class size: 16
New, first-year student admission profile (Fall 2023)
- Total applications: 1,978, total acceptances: 1;562, final enrollment: 274 (148 men; 126 women)
- Reformed Church in America students: 52
- Percent in top 10 percent of high school class: 19 percent
- ACT composite score average: 22.2
- Average HS GPA: 3.70
- Percentage entering with AP or college credit: 69 percent.
Financial aid profile, entire student body
- Receiving need-based aid: 61.39 percent
- Receiving scholarship and grant aid: 98.95 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. Our 21 athletics teams include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s triathlon, volleyball, and men’s and women’s wrestling.
- Central student-athletes have captured 11 NCAA Division III championships, 37 NCAA Division III national individual titles, 187 conference team championships, 76 national top-10 team finishes, 66 CSC Academic All-America®, 24 NCAA postgraduate scholarships and 10 NCAA Division III player of the year awards.