Students at Centenary College benefit from an intimate educational environment that prioritizes personal development and close faculty relationships over maximum earnings outcomes.
The college maintains strong financial responsibility among graduates, with excellent loan repayment performance and a commitment to serving students from diverse economic backgrounds.
Centenary College of Louisiana is a small private nonprofit institution in Shreveport that offers an intimate college experience with personalized attention. As a small college serving fewer than 1,000 students, Centenary provides the close-knit community atmosphere that many students seek in their undergraduate years. The institution maintains a focus on liberal arts education and individual student development rather than maximizing post-graduation earnings.
Graduates earn a median of $50,330 ten years after enrollment, which places the college around the middle of the national distribution for earnings outcomes. While these earnings are moderate compared to larger research universities, they reflect the institution's mission as a small liberal arts college that emphasizes personal growth, critical thinking, and broad-based education rather than pre-professional training in high-earning fields.
For families seeking a traditional small college experience in Louisiana, Centenary offers the benefits of small class sizes, close faculty mentorship, and a tight-knit campus community. The college serves a diverse student body, with about 39% of students receiving Pell Grants and 22% being first-generation college students, demonstrating its commitment to providing access to students from various economic backgrounds despite its private college pricing structure.
As a small liberal arts college, Centenary College focuses on providing broad-based education across traditional academic disciplines rather than specialized professional programs designed for maximum earnings. The institution emphasizes critical thinking, writing, communication, and analytical skills that serve students well across various career paths, even if they don't lead to the highest immediate post-graduation salaries.
The college's program portfolio reflects its mission of developing well-rounded graduates who can adapt to changing career landscapes. Students typically pursue majors in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and other liberal arts fields that prioritize intellectual development and civic engagement. While specific program-level earnings data is not available, the overall moderate earnings outcomes suggest that graduates enter fields such as education, social services, nonprofit work, and other careers that emphasize social contribution alongside financial compensation.
For students considering Centenary, the value proposition lies in the quality of education and personal development rather than specialized career preparation. The small class sizes, close faculty mentorship, and intimate campus community provide educational experiences that can be transformative for students who thrive in supportive, personalized environments, even if the immediate financial returns are more modest than at larger universities with extensive professional programs.
Centenary College graduates achieve moderate long-term earnings that reflect the institution's focus on liberal arts education rather than high-earning professional programs. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $50,330, which places the college around the middle of national earnings distributions. While these outcomes are solid for a small liberal arts institution, they represent more modest financial returns compared to larger universities with extensive business, engineering, or health science programs.
The college's earnings outcomes align with its educational mission and program offerings. As a small liberal arts institution, Centenary emphasizes broad-based education, critical thinking, and personal development rather than specialized pre-professional training in the highest-earning fields. Students typically pursue majors in traditional liberal arts disciplines, education, and other fields that prioritize intellectual development and social contribution over maximum salary potential.
For students and families considering Centenary, the financial return should be viewed in the context of the overall college experience and personal growth opportunities. The intimate campus environment, small class sizes, and close faculty relationships provide educational benefits that extend beyond immediate post-graduation earnings. Students who value mentorship, personalized attention, and a supportive academic community may find that Centenary's outcomes align well with their educational priorities and career goals.
Affordability represents a significant consideration for families considering Centenary College, as net prices reflect typical private college costs. Low-income students pay approximately $22,875 annually after financial aid, while middle-income families face costs around $24,985 per year. High-income families see net prices of about $28,530, which places Centenary in the lower quartile nationally for affordability, meaning costs are higher than at most comparable institutions.
The college does provide financial aid to help offset its private college sticker price, with nearly 39% of students receiving Pell Grants, indicating substantial need-based aid distribution. However, families should expect to take on meaningful debt levels to finance a Centenary education. Typical graduates leave with about $27,000 in federal student loan debt, while families often supplement with Parent PLUS loans averaging $23,440.
Despite the higher costs, Centenary maintains a strong loan repayment culture among its graduates. The college reports a 0% federal loan default rate, and loan repayment data shows that borrowers make steady progress paying down their balances over time. By year four after graduation, students have paid off about 12% of their original loan balances, with roughly 22% of borrowers having completely paid off their loans, indicating that graduates generally manage their debt obligations successfully despite the moderate earnings levels.
Centenary College Of Louisiana Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
