CENTRAL COLLEGE I-11

812 University St.
Pella, IA 50219-1999
Tel: (641)628-9000; 800-458-5503; Admissions: (641)628-7600; Fax: (641)628-5316; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.central.edu/

Description: Independent, 4-year, coed, affiliated with Reformed Church in America. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1853. Setting: 133-acre small town campus with easy access to Des Moines. Endowment: $49.1 million. Educational spending 2002-03: $6518 per student. Total enrollment: 1,698. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 14:1. 1,865 applied, 83% were admitted. 27% from top 10% of their high school class, 58% from top quarter, 85% from top half. 27 valedictorians. full-time: 1,652 students, 57% women, 43% men. Part-time: 46 students, 52% women, 48% men. Students come from 33 states and territories, 13 other countries, 19% from out-of-state, 0.3% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 1% international, 3% 25 or older, 86% live on campus, 4% transferred in. Retention: 84% of 2003 full-time freshmen returned. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: business/marketing; education; social sciences and history. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, internships. Off campus study. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements: Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: high school transcript, SAT I or ACT. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, interview. Required for some: essay, 3 recommendations, interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: Rolling.

Costs Per Year: Application fee: $25. Comprehensive fee: $23,898 includes full-time tuition ($17,609), mandatory fees ($144), and college room and board ($6145). College room only: $3132. Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Part-time tuition: $611 per credit hour. Part-time tuition varies according to course load.

Collegiate Environment: Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 72 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 15% of eligible men and 7% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Students Concerned About the Environment, Inter-Varsity, FCA, Coalition for Multicultural Campus, Student Senate. Major annual events: Annual Lemming Race, Student Conference on Global Awareness, Interdisciplinary Research Symposium. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices, student patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 1,367 college housing spaces available; 1,295 were occupied in 2002-03. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through senior year. Options: coed, men-only, women-only housing available. Geisler Library plus 3 others with 220,526 books, 55,313 microform titles, 1,161 serials, 13,160 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending 2002-03: $1.1 million. 256 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment: Pella (population 10,000), a rapidly growing agricultural and industrial community, is located 43 miles southeast of Des Moines. Active churches, libraries, and a community hospital serve the area. Pella is widely known for its attractive homes, gardens, and fine community spirit. Red Rock Dam and Lake is located four miles south. Tulip Time is an annual event here dedicated to preserving the Dutch heritage of the town.