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.
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
- Nearest big city
- 38 miles to Allentown, PA
- To the ocean
- 36 miles
- Nearest airport
- 35 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)
How Centenary University compares
More selective than 39% · #25 most selective of 43 in New Jersey
Higher than 53% · #21 of 47 in New Jersey
Higher than 55%
Higher than 49% · #28 of 38 in New Jersey
Cheaper than 48% · #27 cheapest of 46 in New Jersey
Lower than 52%
Lower than 59%
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
- Undergraduate91066%
- Graduate46234%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Andover Aeroflex AP, NJ US station (12.2 mi from campus).
What Centenary University graduates study — and earn
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 →
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana · Distant town · 36 mi to Louisville
- Students
- 1,031
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1201
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois · Large suburb · 17 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 820
- Admission
- 85%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1157
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $56k
University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Midsize city · 1 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,218
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $55k
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky · Large city · 1 mi to Lexington
- Students
- 1,005
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1287
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $55k
Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin · Distant town · 60 mi to Madison
- Students
- 688
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1176
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $55k
Brenau University
Gainesville, Georgia · Small city · 50 mi to Atlanta
- Students
- 1,029
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1079
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $54k
Colleges near Centenary University
Cutting Edge Academy
Succasunna, NJ · Private for-profit · Certificate · 99 students
Warren County Community College
Washington, NJ · Public · Associate · 836 students
County College of Morris
Randolph, NJ · Public · Associate · 5,360 students
Sussex County Community College
Newton, NJ · Public · Associate · 2,086 students
Rabbinical College of America
Morristown, NJ · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 181 students
Raritan Valley Community College
Branchburg, NJ · Public · Associate · 5,416 students
Artistic Academy of Hair Design
Morris Plains, NJ · Private for-profit · Certificate · 88 students
Assumption College for Sisters
Denville, NJ · Private nonprofit · Associate · 30 students
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.











