Spotlight on Centre College

This week we'll travel to the Midwest to take a look at Centre College in the small town of Danville, Kentucky. In many ways Centre is the quintessential liberal arts college -- first opened in 1820, it has a beautiful and historic campus. Its 11-1 student-faculty ratio and membership in Phi Beta Kappa underpin its student-centered mission. All students at Centre receive the "Centre Commitment," a promise that "guarantees students who meet the College’s academic and social expectations an internship, study abroad, and graduation in four years."

What most impresses me about Centre College is the dedication of their alumni. The school has a higher rate of giving (about 75% of alumni contribute to their annual fund) than any other college in the country. This generosity and commitment has allowed Centre College to offer impressive financial aid to their students -- for 2007-08, 85% of students received financial aid, and institutional grants averaged $17,600 per recipient.

Be sure to check out the Centre College profile.

Every week I'll be spotlighting an interesting college that might be off the radar of prospective students. If there's a school you'd like to recommend, please post your ideas in the College Admissions Forum. And if you'd like to share your thoughts and experiences related to Centre College, I've started a Centre College discussion in the forum as well.

photo: Arwcheek / Wikimedia Commons