Private nonprofit · University

Centenary University

Hackettstown, New Jersey · Large suburb

83.1%
Admit rate
$20,503
Avg net price
56%
Graduation rate
$53,726
Median earnings

Centenary University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Hackettstown, New Jersey (large suburb setting), enrolling 910 undergraduates. It has a United Methodist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 910 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 83% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold winters

About Hackettstown, New Jersey

Hackettstown is a town in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. William Johnson (1817–1891) was a prime contributor to the incorporation of the town in 1853. He and his brother George (1815–1889) were successful merchants in the town beginning in 1839 when they began operating the W.L. & G.W Johnson dry good store. Musical groups from Hackettstown include The Semonski Sisters, a family musical act that appeared on television's The Lawrence Welk Show from 1975 to 1977. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
36 miles
Nearest airport
35 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)

How Centenary University compares

Selectivity83.1%

More selective than 39% · #25 most selective of 43 in New Jersey

Graduation rate56%

Higher than 53% · #21 of 47 in New Jersey

First-year retention78%

Higher than 55%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$53,726

Higher than 49% · #28 of 38 in New Jersey

Average net price$20,503

Cheaper than 48% · #27 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey

Median debt at graduation$23,163

Lower than 52%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment910

Larger than 35%

Percentiles compare Centenary University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Jersey.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,372students
  • Undergraduate91066%
  • Graduate46234%

Undergraduates by gender

910undergrads
  • Women59565%
  • Men31535%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White61%
  • Black9.1%
  • Hispanic20%
  • Asian2.0%
  • Other or multiracial8.1%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
910
Graduate enrollment
462
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
38%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$49,039
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$67,797
Endowment
$15,919,996

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
83.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$37,732
Room & board
$12,552
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$52,362
Average net price
$20,503

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
56%
Graduated on time (4 years)
45%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
28%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,049
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$53,726
Median debt at graduation
$23,163
Students with federal loans
63%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
60%

About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
45%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
65%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
756
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
83%
Housing charge (year)
$8,684
Meal plan (year)
$4,770
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
223 (136 men · 87 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Soccer52
Baseball38
Lacrosse35
Basketball33
Wrestling25
Softball14
Cross Country10
Volleyball10
Equestrian6

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
5
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,398 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

4.3reported offenses a year
1.7 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
2.3
Rape
1.0
Murder
0.3
Fondling
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$13,329
$30–48k
$16,047
$48–75k
$21,277
$75–110k
$23,306
$110k+
$28,735

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$91,491

$21,277/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

94%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$22,905
average award, among those who get one

Centenary University discounts heavily: 94% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $22,905. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 187 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$53,726
Typical debt at graduation
$23,163
Debt vs. one year's pay
43%
Out-earn a HS grad
67%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$51,754
Men
$59,191

Men out-earn women by $7,437 (14%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
48.8″
Annual snow
23.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Andover Aeroflex AP, NJ US station (12.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Centenary University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Centenary University side by side →

Colleges near Centenary University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.