Centenary College of Louisiana

Private · Moderately Selective · LA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationLA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads685

Student:faculty8:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate47.9%

6-yr grad rate56.2%

Drop-out rate29.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$41k

Out-of-state tuition$41k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity47.6%

Gender diversity50.4%

International0.9%

IdentityUnited Methodist

Overview

Centenary College of Louisiana, in Shreveport, is a small Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college and one of the oldest chartered liberal arts colleges west of the Mississippi River. Its age and denominational roots give it a traditional, tightly knit identity uncommon among Louisiana's mostly larger public institutions.

Academics

Centenary is known for strong placement into pre-professional programs, including medicine and law, supported by close faculty advising and small class sizes. A required first-year immersive trip to Paris is one of the college's more distinctive academic features, giving every incoming class a shared global-education experience built directly into the curriculum rather than offered as an optional add-on.

Campus & student life

Choral music has a long and well-regarded tradition at Centenary; the college choir has toured internationally and performed for audiences well beyond what a college its size would typically reach. Campus life centers on Shreveport itself, a mid-sized city that gives students more urban amenities than the college's small enrollment might suggest.

Getting in

Admission is holistic, and the college's pre-professional placement record and merit scholarships are frequently emphasized in recruiting given its relatively high sticker price compared with public options in the region.

Worth knowing

The required Paris trip for first-year students is a genuine, unusual feature; most small liberal arts colleges offer study abroad as optional, not built into the core first-year experience, and it is worth understanding by any admitted student picturing their first year.

centenary.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate55.7%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1060–1210 · ACT 20–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying