Centre ranked among nation’s best colleges by Money
A national publication has again ranked Centre College near the top among all schools in the nation for offering an outstanding return on the financial investment its students make.
Money released its 2026 Best Colleges list, evaluating more than 2,400 four-year colleges and universities across the nation. The publication’s analysis focuses on evaluating the schools — public and private, large and small — on metrics centered on students’ post-graduation journeys and the cost of attendance.
Centre received 4.5 stars on Money’s five-star scale, placing it among the top colleges in the nation for offering an outstanding value and strong return on investment for graduates.
“Our focus at Centre is always to provide the best educational experience possible in order to ensure our graduates enjoy tremendous success in their chosen career fields and throughout their lives,” said Centre President Milton C. Moreland. “Rankings such as these are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff to set our graduates on a path to intellectual growth, professional achievement and a lifetime of purposeful engagement with the world.”
Money’s rankings are built around 25 data points, with the quality of education offered by the institution making up 30 percent of the final score. The largest contributing factor in the category is the school’s graduation rate, which demonstrates the support students receive to complete their degrees. Money then looks at the earnings of graduates and their economic mobility to assess the value of that degree.
“Our ratings highlight schools where students are likely to graduate, keep debt manageable and go on to earn solid wages,” according to Money.
The final piece of the rankings puzzle focuses on affordability, with data points measuring the net price of a degree and student debt after graduation.
“Families choosing Centre are making a deliberate investment in their students' future, and these rankings affirm that investment pays off," Moreland said. "Our graduates leave here with the intellectual preparation, professional connections and personal confidence to compete — and lead — anywhere in the world.”
Centre is annually ranked among the top colleges in the nation by numerous publications, including Money, U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly.
