Central College is a private liberal arts college located in Pella, Iowa. It is a four-year school affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. Central has a student body of approximately 1,700 individuals and a 130 acre (526,000 m²) main campus. The college is noted for its study abroad program.
The college was founded in 1853 and officially opened on October 8, 1854. The first class was 37 people. Central was a Baptist institution until 1916, when it was transferred to the control of the Reformed Church in America.
Originally named Central University of Iowa (CUI), the college officially changed its name to "Central College" in the mid '90s.
It is home to local radio station 89.1 KCUI-FM.
Central has a pre-college summer program for local high school students called Upward Bound.
Famous graduates include reporter Harry Smith.
Central has also had a rich history of interesting architectural features. The first buildings of the new college in 1853 are Dutch Colonial part of the present day fine dining Strawtown Inn. The first dormatory, Cotton Hall, was an architural wonder with its ornate Victorian porch and splendid stain glass windows. The unique buildings continue today with the addition of "green" builings. The main feature of campus is the unique Geisler Library with the main part of the builing on stilts. The library also underwent an extensive renovation to restore the interior design to the original 1970s colors. Central is also one of few schools with a public history major, and part of this focuses on architecture history.
Central offers majors in the following areas of study:
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Top States for Incoming Freshman
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| Percent of Students International: | 1% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 98% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf) Basketball (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf) Baseball (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf) Track (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 19,684 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 244 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,051 | 24% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,141 | 46% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 7,889 | 100% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 6,040 | 78% | |
Any Aid: |
100% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 84% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 4% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 460, Math: 470 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 650, Math: 610 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 95% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 21, Verbal: 20, Math: 19 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 26, Verbal: 26, Math: 25 |
| Application Fee: | $ 25.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Recommended |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
