Centre College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Danville, Kentucky. It enrolls 1,400 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar4-1-4 Plan
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
79/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes86
Value65
Affordability36
Selectivity83
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Centre College admits 54.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
54.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1160 – 1450
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Centre College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
22.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $20,781 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$52,820
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,640
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,770
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,150
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,570
Total Cost of Attendance
$67,787
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$11,364
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,388
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,847
$75,001 – $110,000
$18,920
Over $110,000
$30,571
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$14,00025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$28,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $23,391
↓ $3,609
No Pell $25,982
↓ $1,018
Female students $26,000
↓ $1,000
Male students $23,750
↓ $3,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
80% of students who start here finish within six years, and 88% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
80%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
88%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $66,240 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$66,240
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$47,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$60,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $13,300, about 22% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,400 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
1,400
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
20%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 72.4%1,013
Hispanic 7.4%103
Black 6.4%90
Asian 4.9%68
Other 4.4%61
International 3.8%53
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Centre College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Centre College offers
a varied set of programs:
24 distinct programs across
14 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$468M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$83,661
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
137 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
35
26%
$106,586
Associate Professors
52
38%
$84,043
Assistant Professors
47
34%
$66,593
Instructors
3
2%
$76,976
Pros & Cons of Centre College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Centre College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Centre College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Centre College
The questions families ask most about Centre College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Centre College hard to get into?
Admissions at Centre College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 54.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Centre College?
54.4% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Centre College?
Aim for 1450 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1160 and 1450 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Centre College?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 25 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Centre College cost?
Budget around $20,781 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Centre College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $66,240 a year against a net price of $20,781, about 3.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Centre College known for?
Mostly Economics, Political Science, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Centre College graduates earn?
About $66,240 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Centre College accredited?
Yes. Centre College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Centre College?
1,400 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Centre College?
80% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Centre College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Centre College located?
Centre College is located in Danville, Kentucky.
What programs does Centre College offer?
24 different programs, most commonly Economics, Political Science, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Centre College?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Kentucky
Other colleges in Kentucky share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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