Is Central College Worth It?

Central College gives you a moderate but real financial return. You leave with debt near $27,000 and a median mid-career salary of $54,317, so most graduates clear their loans without the numbers turning against them. The 69% graduation rate matters here: it means roughly one in three students leaves without a degree but often with debt, and that gap is the biggest risk you take walking in.

Accounting is the clear payoff. It pays about $53,000 and lands you close to the school's median earnings, meaning your loan balance and your starting income roughly match. Business administration and mathematics sit lower, in the mid-$40,000s, which still services the same debt load but leaves less breathing room. Teacher education and communication and media studies are where the math gets tight. At around $38,000 and $36,000, you carry the same $27,000 debt against a paycheck that leaves little margin, especially early on. Iowa teaching salaries are modest, so plan for a slow climb.

Your net price depends heavily on family income. If your family earns under $30,000, you pay about $14,745, a meaningful discount off the sticker. Above $110,000, you pay closer to $25,764, near full freight. The middle tiers land in the high teens to low twenties, so a family earning $60,000 pays roughly $19,000 a year and should weigh that against the program they choose.

Central is a good fit for you if you're heading into accounting or business and can finish in four years. Think harder if you're set on teaching or communication and would need to borrow the full amount. The degree pays, but the low-earning majors leave thin margins, and the one-in-three who don't graduate carry the debt without the salary that justifies it.