Central College vs. Dort

Should I go to Central College or Dordt College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Central College or Dort is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Central College vs. Dordt College comparison
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Central College Dordt College
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Overview

 Central College Dort
Location Pella, IA Sioux Center, IA
Setting Distant Town Remote Town
Enrollment 1,169 1,861
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #519 #486
Religious Affiliation Reformed Church in America Christian Reformed Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website central.edu dordt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Central College Dort
Tuition (In State) $19,800 $34,000
Tuition (Out of State) $19,800 $34,000
Room & Board $10,860 $10,990
Avg Net Price $23,303 $27,375
Avg Grant Aid $10,999 $21,920
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Central College Dort
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,970 1,476
Admitted 1,561 1,294
Acceptance Rate 79.2% 87.7%
Enrolled % 22.5% 34.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 21/28
SAT Range 1040/1218 1020/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Central College Dort
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Education (23%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Agriculture (6%)

Outcomes

 Central College Dort
Graduation Rate 63% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $43,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $237

Diversity

 Central College Dort
% Men 52% 47%
% Women 48% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 87% 73%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 0%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 7%
% Two or More Races 1% 0%
% International 0% 9%
% Unknown Race 3% 8%

Students

 Central College Dort
% In-State 73% 39%
% Out-of-State 26% 50%

Campus

 Central College Dort
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Dordt College is larger than than Central College based on total student enrollment (1,861 students vs. 1,169 students)

Central College vs. Dort Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Central College or Dort?

  • Dordt College is 71.7% more expensive to attend than Central College for in-state tuition ($34,000.00 vs. $19,800.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 71.7% higher at Dort than Central College ($34,000.00 vs. $19,800.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Central College than Dort ($23,303 vs. $27,375)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Central College are 1.2% lower than costs at Dordt College ($10,860 vs. $10,990)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Central College as Dordt College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dordt College students is 99.3% larger than aid received Central College ($21,920 vs. $10,999)

Central College vs. Dort Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Central College or Dort? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Dort or Central College .

  • The average SAT score at Dordt College (1159) is 91 points higher than at Central College (1068)
  • Incoming Dort students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Central College (23)
  • Accepted freshman Dort students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Central College (3.52)
  • Dort has a higher acceptance rate (87.7%) than Central College (79.2%)

Central College vs. Dort Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Central College or Dort? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Dort and Central College.

  • The graduation rate at Central College is higher than Dordt College (63% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Central College earn on average $4,700 more per year than Dort graduates after ten years. ($48,000 vs. $43,300)
  • Dordt College students graduate with a $4,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Central College graduates. ($23,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Dort graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than Central College graduates. ($237 vs. $279)
  • More Dort graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Central College students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 78%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/