1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Centre College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Centre College KY · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #639 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/centre-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/centre-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/centre-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/centre-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/centre-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Centre College #639 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Centre College is a private nonprofit university in Danville, Kentucky, where the largest share of degrees is in Social Sciences. Mobility is well above average, and the university graduates its Pell students at a rate slightly above the overall cohort. Graduates earn above the median at comparable schools. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The price case depends heavily on income. Aid covers a large portion of the published cost for the average aid recipient, and the lowest income band pays well below the highest band. Affordability is modestly below average, and the spread between the bands is wide. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and the degree mix leans toward the social sciences and psychology. The largest program is not the highest-earning one. ## Centre College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 54.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 80.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $64,933 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $15,847 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $27,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $50,378 ## Centre College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Centre College is a private nonprofit university in Danville, Kentucky, enrolling 1,400 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university admits 54.4% of applicants, a rate well below the 75.7% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among first-year students studying full time, 87.5% return for a second year, against a peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 80.7%, well above the peer median of 54.9%. An estimated 6.4% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a large majority of the student body. The four pillars that make up the composite are spread out. Mobility is the strongest, at the 83rd percentile, while access is the weakest, at the 25th percentile. Return and affordability sit between them, with return at the 62nd percentile and affordability at the 28th percentile. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Centre College on four pillars among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is the strongest, in the 83rd percentile, while access is the weakest, in the 25th percentile. Return sits in the 62nd percentile and affordability in the 28th percentile. Mobility sits well above the other three pillars. 22.6% of undergraduates at Centre College receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks the university #1,096 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 81.8%, 1.1 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The mobility pillar is the strongest of the four, and Azimuth ranks Centre College #243 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Centre College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #639 | | [Kentucky](/rankings/best-colleges-in-kentucky/) | #10 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #218 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 83 **Access & reach** National percentile: 25 **[Affordability](/school/centre-college/cost/)** National percentile: 28 **[Return on investment](/school/centre-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 62 01 / Centre College briefing ## [Centre College cost & financial aid](/school/centre-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Centre College is $67,787, with tuition and fees of $52,820 and room and board of $14,640. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported on-campus food and housing of $15,740 and required fees of $750. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what students pay after grants and scholarships—is $20,781, which is $1,566 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,025 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at Centre College is $67,787. Azimuth ranks the university #1,025 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $11,364, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $15,847, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $30,571. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $19,207. The average aid recipient sees $47,006 in savings against the published cost, bringing the average net price for aid recipients to $20,781. That is $1,566 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Tuition and fees are $52,820. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,000 above the $25,000 peer median. 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $50,378 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month. It estimates what a family might pay based on income and assets, rather than quoting a single average. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$15,847** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Centre College Borrowers who complete a degree at Centre College carry a median of $27,000 in federal loans. 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That median is $2,000 above the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $50,378. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 57% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative debt of $22,698 per borrower. Of the graduates who borrowed, 56% held federal loans averaging $21,294. A smaller share, 9%, took private loans averaging $37,606. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,933. That is $9,018 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), placing the university at the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $49,708 on the downside to $79,184 on the upside, with a typical figure of $64,933. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $27,000 in federal loans, which corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. The peer median for debt is $25,000, $2,000 below the university's figure. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $50,378. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $27,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $50,378 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $307/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $640/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=centre-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/centre-college/cost/) 02 / Centre College briefing ## [Centre College career outcomes & earnings](/school/centre-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Centre College graduates earn above the median for comparable institutions, with a return pillar that sits in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,933, placing the college in the 65th percentile. That is $9,018 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The spread across earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, shows the variation by field. The downside earnings scenario is $49,708, the typical is $64,933, and the upside reaches $79,184. Computer Science graduates earn $93,000 at the high end, while History graduates earn $51,094 at the low end. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,933. That places Centre College in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 246 completers. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical figure of $64,933, with a downside scenario of $49,708 and an upside scenario of $79,184. The range between the downside and upside scenarios is estimated from the institution’s program mix. An estimated 43.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. That share means a substantial portion of the earnings picture unfolds beyond the four-year mark captured here. Centre College graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion earn a median of $64,933, at the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, and the college sits $9,018 above that mark. For return, [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the college #552 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Degrees awarded span economics, international studies, history and computer science, with the social sciences as the broadest family. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $49,708 on the downside to $79,184 on the upside. An estimated 43.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $49,708 on the downside to $79,184 on the upside. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where graduates earn a median of $93,000 four years after completion, from 16 degrees awarded a year. Economics, the largest program, reports $75,885 on 53 degrees. The median federal debt for borrowers who finish is $27,000, $2,000 above the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). At Centre College, that balance yields an estimated monthly payment of $307 if repaid over ten years. The median Parent PLUS debt, a separate parent-borrower pool, is $50,378. Aid recipients pay an average cost after grants and scholarships (average net price) of $20,781, which sits $1,566 below the $22,347 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). After grants and scholarships, the lowest income band averages $11,364, and the highest band averages $30,571. Median borrowing sits above the peer median (the median for comparable institutions), while the average net price sits below it. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/centre-college/outcomes/) 03 / Centre College briefing ## [Centre College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/centre-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Centre College admits 54.4% of applicants, well below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 4,165 first-year applicants, 2,006 admitted students, and 357 who enrolled. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 54.4% **25th percentile** 1203 **Median** 1285 **75th percentile** 1410 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/centre-college/admissions/) 04 / Centre College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Centre College?](/school/centre-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Earnings four years after completion vary widely by field at Centre College. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $93,000, the highest among the programs with published data, from 16 degrees awarded a year. The largest program, Economics, awards 53 degrees and shows median earnings of $75,885. That figure is below the top of the range. At the more moderate end, History graduates earn $51,094 from 19 degrees awarded. Among the largest four programs, the highest-earning is Computer Science at $93,000 and the lowest-earning is History at $51,094. Social Sciences accounts for 27.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Psychology at 14.5% and Biological Sciences at 11.8%. The largest single program is Economics, at 53 degrees a year. Its graduates earn a median of $75,885 four years after completion. Computer Science is the highest-earning program, with a median of $93,000 from 16 degrees awarded. International/Globalization Studies (23 degrees awarded) and History (19 degrees awarded) round out the largest fields with published earnings, with median earnings of $59,531 and $51,094 respectively. Centre College awards bachelor's degrees across a handful of fields, with Social Sciences leading at 27.1% of degrees awarded. Psychology and Biological Sciences follow, at 14.5% and 11.8% respectively. The university has 4 programs with published four-year earnings data, and the largest single program is Economics, at 53 degrees awarded a year, followed by International/Globalization Studies at 23 and History at 19. Computer Science is the highest-earning program, with a median of $93,000 four years after completion from 16 degrees awarded. That figure is 0.87x the national median for its field, so the top earnings here sit below what the same field pays nationally. Economics, the largest program, is also the second-highest-earning, at $75,885. International/Globalization Studies awards 23 degrees and its graduates earn a median of $59,531, which is 0.99x the national median for the field. The pattern is a small liberal arts mix where the largest program is also one of the best-paid, while the next-largest programs post more modest earnings. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 53 degrees awarded** $75,885 **Psychology, General 26 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 23 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Biology, General 23 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **International/Globalization Studies 23 degrees awarded** $59,531 **Research and Experimental Psychology 22 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/centre-college/majors/) 05 / Centre College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Centre College?](/school/centre-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/centre-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Centre College. Admissions peerThe University of the South56.9% admitted+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | The University of the South | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $63,966\-$967 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $27,872+$7,091 vs Centre College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 56.9% | Higher-admission alternativeSpalding University99.5% admitted+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | Spalding University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $64,136\-$797 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $25,491+$4,710 vs Centre College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 99.5% | Nearby alternativeSpalding UniversityNearby option · KY+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | Spalding University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $64,136\-$797 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $25,491+$4,710 vs Centre College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 99.5% | Higher-earnings alternativeMilwaukee School of Engineering$90,607 earnings+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | Milwaukee School of Engineering | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $90,607+$25,674 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $22,453+$1,672 vs Centre College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 58.9% | [Explore Milwaukee School of Engineering →](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/) Lower-cost alternativeNorthern Kentucky University$8,191 average net price+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | Northern Kentucky University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $58,429\-$6,504 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $8,191\-$12,590 vs Centre College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 67.7% | [Explore Northern Kentucky University →](/school/northern-kentucky-university/) Similar profileTrinity Washington UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Centre College | Measure | Centre College | Trinity Washington University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,933 | $64,019\-$914 vs Centre College | | Average annual net price | $20,781 | $9,302\-$11,479 vs Centre College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 54.4% | 99.5% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/centre-college/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)