True College Verdict
?

Centra College

Lynchburg, VA · 219 undergraduates · 49% receive Pell Grants · admits 100%
Private nonprofitMainly associate degrees

Not graded. The federal data for this school is too thin to grade it fairly, which is common for very small, new or graduate-only schools. The figures that do exist are below.

Is it affordable?
Not enough data
Will most students finish?
Yes
84% graduate within 8 years. Typical for similar colleges: 36%.
Is it worth the price?
Likely
Graduates owe a typical $15,250 against earnings of $57,204, a ratio of 0.27. Under 0.4 is comfortable; over 0.7 is heavy.

These three answers are rules of thumb from the numbers below, not advice for any one student or major.

What do students really think?

You have seen the federal numbers for Centra College. Now hear from people who went there, or add your own experience. Anonymous, no account.

Would you choose it again? That is the first question the rating form asks.

Why it is good

  • 84% of students graduate, better than 96% of two-year colleges.
  • Strong pay: typical earnings ten years after starting are $57,204, higher than 88% of two-year colleges.

Why it is bad

Nothing stands out as clearly worse than similar colleges.

The numbers

What these figures measure

Graduation rate: share of all students, full-time or part-time, who finish within 8 years. Return for year 2: share of first-time, full-time students who come back for a second year. Earnings: median pay about 10 years after starting, for students who received federal aid. Debt: median federal loan debt among those who finish. Net price: average yearly cost after grants and scholarships. All from the U.S. Education Department College Scorecard, institution file dated November 2, 2026.

Graduation rate
84%
Better than 96% of similar colleges. Typical: 36%
Return for year 2
n/a
Typical: 64%
Earnings after 10 years
$57,204
Better than 88% of similar colleges. Typical: $45,146
Debt at graduation
$15,250
Better than 44% of similar colleges. Typical: $12,000
Net price per year
n/a
Typical: $9,953
Published tuition
$13,430
Before any aid

Programs and early earnings

Bachelor's degrees: largest programs

FieldGraduates a yearEarnings, 2 yrs afterDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing11n/an/a

Associate degrees: largest programs

FieldGraduates a yearEarnings, 2 yrs afterDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing84$53,454$20,000

Certificates and diplomas: largest programs

FieldGraduates a yearEarnings, 2 yrs afterDebt
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants20$33,993$9,500

Earnings are the median pay two years after completing, for graduates who were working and not enrolled again. The federal government hides figures for small programs, shown as n/a. Fields are broad groups, so a college may offer several majors inside one.

Students and reviews

Numbers cannot tell you about teaching, dorms or campus life. Read and write anonymous student reviews for Centra College, or ask and answer questions about it. Other sources:

Compare with other colleges Estimate your cost

The grade reflects outcomes for the average student compared with other two-year colleges. Individual majors can be much better or worse.