Centenary ranked top 10 performer in social mobility by U.S. News & World Report
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary earned the #8 spot among national liberal arts colleges in the recently-released U.S. News & World Report social mobility ranking. This ranking, introduced by U.S. News in 2019, measures graduation rates for students who receive federal Pell Grants and recognizes institutions that excel at supporting Pell Grant recipients through to graduation. Federal Pell Grants help create greater access to higher education for students whose families earn less than $50,000 annually.
“At Centenary, we work very hard to make a great education available and affordable to as many people as possible,” said Centenary president Dr. Christopher L. Holoman. “We know that a college degree opens up new possibilities for students and statistically will result in greater earnings over a lifetime. So it is important that we not only admit Pell-eligible students, but also do our best to assure that they graduate on time. I am pleased that our efforts have received this recognition.”
Centenary prioritizes access and affordability in an effort to ensure that students have the opportunity to pursue an outstanding liberal arts education regardless of their economic circumstances. In 2021, the College launched the Centenary Affordability Pledge (CAP) to provide full tuition coverage for all Louisiana students who are both Pell Grant and TOPS eligible. Under CAP, Centenary covers any tuition expenses that remain after Pell and TOPS awards are applied.
Centenary also recently joined the Coalition for College, a diverse group of more than 170 public and private colleges and universities across the U.S. working to improve college access for low-income, under-resourced and first-generation students. Graduating students on time, and with low or no debt, is the basis for membership in the Coalition. Altogether, Coalition schools outperform the national averages for retention and graduation by 17 percent.