The real 4-year cost of Central College in Iowa
Over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023, published tuition and required fees at Central College went from $23,944 to $20,988, an average of -4.6% a year.
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition drop or reset, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2027: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $23,944 | – | – |
| 2009 | $25,010 | – | – |
| 2010 | $26,242 | – | – |
| 2011 | $27,844 | – | – |
| 2012 | $29,540 | – | – |
| 2013 | $30,700 | – | – |
| 2014 | $32,124 | – | – |
| 2015 | $33,345 | – | – |
| 2016 | $34,612 | – | – |
| 2017 | $35,930 | – | – |
| 2018 | $37,296 | – | – |
| 2019 | $38,600 | – | – |
| 2020 | $18,600 | – | – |
| 2021 | $19,250 | – | – |
| 2022 | $19,800 | – | – |
| 2023 | $20,988 | $20,988 | – |
| 2024 | – | $20,019 | $17,070–$22,967 |
| 2025 | – | $19,094 | $13,883–$25,133 |
| 2026 | – | $18,212 | $11,292–$27,503 |
| 2027 | – | $17,371 | $9,184–$30,096 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $18,212 |
| Year 2 | $17,371 |
| Year 3 | $16,568 |
| Year 4 | $15,803 |
| 4-year total | $67,954 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $27,954
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $33,977
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $12,220/ yr
- rising 2.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $54,104
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Central College4-year schools with similar prices in Iowa
Closest to Central College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- St Luke's College$20,940
- Emmaus Bible College$20,000
- Mercy College of Health Sciences$22,360
- Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary$19,530
- Upper Iowa University$19,000
- Allen College$24,456
- Waldorf University$25,220
- Maharishi International University$16,530
Use this data
Published figures for Central College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.