Centenary College of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana · Private Nonprofit · 55.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Centenary College of Louisiana, a small Methodist liberal-arts college in Shreveport, scores 35 - Below Benchmark tier. The drivers are mostly the standard small-private-college mix. Sticker tuition is $41,200, net price $23,624, four-year total cost $94,496. Earnings of $32,900 at six years and $50,330 at ten years against $27,000 in median debt (essentially the federal-undergraduate-loan ceiling) produce a 0.821 debt-to-earnings ratio - the weakest sub-score at just 13 out of 100. The payback period is 15.3 years. Completion of 56.2% is moderate and three-year repayment is 76.8%. Pell rate of 44.8% indicates a substantial need-based student body. With only 685 students, Centenary has limited program data (only one program with reported earnings - business administration), which reflects small graduate cohorts that don't trigger statistical reporting thresholds across most majors. The fundamental tension: high cost, modest earnings, and debt loads at the federal ceiling create a difficult financial case absent strong merit-aid packages or specific program fit.
How Centenary College of Louisiana scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period15.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Centenary College of Louisiana
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $41,200/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $41,200/yr |
| Average net price | $23,624/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $94,496 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,330 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 685 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $41,200/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,624/year, or roughly $94,496 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $19,493/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,862/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,900) and comes to 0.82, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,493 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,831 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,942 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,412 |
| $110,001+ | $29,862 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,493 net - well below sticker. Four-year cost is around $78,000, against $50,330 in 10-year median earnings. The math is hard: four-year cost exceeds 10-year earnings by ~$28K. The aid model materially helps but the underlying earnings ceiling caps value.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $20,942 net, four-year cost roughly $83,800. Brackets march cleanly upward across all income tiers (no inversions), suggesting consistent need-based aid policy. The math remains difficult against the $50,330 earnings figure.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $25,412, and $110,000+ pays $29,862 - still meaningfully below the $41,200 sticker, signaling modest merit discounting persists at higher incomes. Four-year cost at the top is roughly $119,500. For high-income families this is essentially a values-driven private-college decision; the ROI math is upside-down at sticker exposure.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Centenary College of Louisiana with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,525 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the only program with reported earnings data: 20 graduates with $48,525 in four-year median earnings. Median debt is not reported. The earnings figure reflects Shreveport-area employer demand in banking, healthcare administration, and oilfield services. With only 20 graduates per cohort, sample sizes are small enough that other Centenary majors don't trigger Scorecard reporting thresholds - but the program lineup includes music, sciences, education, and pre-health tracks that are not captured here.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 76.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 78.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Centenary College of Louisiana’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 55.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 530-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 530-600 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-25 |
| Enrollment | 685 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,808 |
Centenary admits 55.7% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges (Math 530-610, Reading 530-600) and ACT 20-25 reflect a college-ready academic profile. The 56.2% completion rate is moderate; given the selectivity and academic profile of admitted students, financial constraints (rather than academic preparation) likely drive non-completion. Prepared applicants face manageable selectivity; the bigger question is whether net price is justified for the earnings outcome.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Centenary's score is 35, and the high net price drags it.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centenary College of Louisiana (this school) | 35 | $23,624 | $50,330 |
| Louisiana Christian University | 56 | $13,113 | $51,700 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Bethany College | 31 | $27,686 | $49,694 |
| Dillard University | 15 | $22,094 | $39,196 |
Who Thrives Here
Centenary fits Northwest Louisiana and East Texas students drawn to a 685-student Methodist liberal-arts environment, especially future business professionals, teachers, pre-health students, and those interested in the school's music conservatory tradition. Pell rate of 44.8% indicates a substantial need-based cohort. Limited reporting makes it hard to identify standout program ROI tracks; the business program is the only one with reported earnings. Best fit: students with strong merit-aid packages and clear pre-professional plans. Weaker fit: students evaluating purely on cost-to-earnings math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Centenary College of Louisiana scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,624 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,330 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.3 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Centenary College of Louisiana: Common Questions
Is Centenary College of Louisiana worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Centenary College of Louisiana scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,624 a year after aid against $50,330 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Centenary College of Louisiana cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $23,624 a year, or roughly $94,496 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Centenary College of Louisiana graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,330 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,530 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Centenary College of Louisiana?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 15.3 years for Centenary College of Louisiana. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Centenary College of Louisiana graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $32,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Centenary College of Louisiana?
The six-year graduation rate is 56.2%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.