About Centre College
Founded in 1819 and named for its location in the middle of the state, Centre College opened its doors in the fall of 1820 with a single building, a faculty of two, and a student body of five. Today, there are approximately 1,400 students, 148 full-time faculty members and more than 50 majors, minors, pre-professional and dual-degree programs, and graduate partnerships in three academic divisions: Arts & Humanities, Social Studies, and Sciences & Mathematics, each chaired by a member of the faculty under the general oversight of the Dean of the College. The work of each division is carried out through separate program committees representing the various academic disciplines.
The Centre Experience
Centre College students earn an extraordinary liberal arts and sciences education, put their education into practice in real-world settings. The Centre Experience ensures study abroad, participation in hands-on research and career internships around the world, and the chance to engage with alumni and industry leaders. Centre is proud to offer significant financial aid to make a premiere education accessible and affordable, including several competitive scholarship programs that cover the full cost of college as well as funds for enrichment experiences.
Centre is one of the nation’s premiere institutions for study abroad, with programs stretching from Merida, Mexico to Bhutan to France, as well as study away programs in Washington, D.C., and New York City. More than 85% of Centre students currently study abroad. The College will buy a passport for every student who does not have one and provide funding and support for study abroad and internships for first generation students or those with financial need.
Student Life
On campus, students live and learn as a community, with more than 98% living in the residence halls. There are more than 100 student clubs on campus. Forty-two percent of students participate in the arts, 40% of students belong to a fraternity or sorority, nearly half participate in a varsity sport, and nearly three-quarters of students participate in intramural and club sports. There are dozens of campus performances each semester in the renowned Norton Center, including Broadway shows, concerts, and presentations from eminent guest speakers.
Centre’s brand-new, recently upgraded, and soon-to-be finished athletic facilities are remarkable, with new fields or facilities for baseball, football, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and lacrosse, indoor and outdoor facilities for track and field, including a 200-meter indoor track, an aquatics center with an Olympic-size pool, an upgraded gym for basketball and volleyball, and a multipurpose field house. Home to 25 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s sports teams, Centre teams compete successfully for conference and national titles, and new facilities make participating and watching these competitions even more exciting. They also provide opportunities for the three-quarters of students who participate in intramural and club sports.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Centre College pledges to continue efforts to build and strengthen a community enriched by differences and founded upon common humanity. Centre respects the right of all members of the community to express their individuality in a manner that is consistent with the dignity and welfare of others. Centre strives to create an environment where differences are celebrated rather than discouraged, where individuals have the opportunity to exchange ideas and share in the richness of mutual experience. By valuing the individual’s total character over any single characteristic, Centre will maintain its unique community.
Centre embraces the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity as integral to the college mission. Diversity, inclusion, and equity are central to teaching, learning, service, scholarship, and community and help stimulate creativity, critical thinking, leadership, discovery, love, and global citizenship.
2022-2025 Strategic Plan
Centre College graduates will have the intellectual knowledge, applied experience, and professional competencies to excel in their education and their careers, lead lives of meaning and purpose, and positively impact their communities. Based upon the College’s mission, statements of purpose, and community, the work of the Seven Pillar Subcommittees, comprehensive market research, and cross-campus engagement, Centre College identified three strategic priorities for immediate action: Experiential Learning and Community Engagement; Career Readiness; and Community Wellness. The efforts outlined in the strategic plan all contribute to the overarching goals to grow enrollment and retention, enhance student experiences and outcomes, support career readiness and the success of alumni, and raise the College’s public profile while preserving its academic character and distinction.
Danville, Kentucky
Nestled in the heart of Kentucky and the state’s central Bluegrass region, Danville, Kentucky has plenty to explore — much of it just blocks from campus. A safe, friendly city, Danville is home to a world-class performing arts center, as well as shops, cafes, parks, galleries, breweries, and plenty of events and festivals. Surrounded by rolling hills, scenic state parks, and national forests, the Centre campus is also near canoeing, kayaking, biking, hiking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities.
Located in the center of Kentucky, there is much to explore nearby. The city of Lexington is home to regional sports teams, museums, a vibrant brewery district, horse farms, and Keeneland Racetrack, all only 30 miles away. Frankfort, the state capital, is less than one hour, while Louisville, home to Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, is just over an hour from campus. Finally, American treasures like the Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge, and Mammoth Cave National Park are within an easy driving distance.
Danville, a town of about 16,000, was the first capital of Kentucky (among its many firsts) and is full of small-town charm, historic architecture, and a thriving main street. Listed in National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Best Places of a Lifetime,” Kentucky’s famed Bluegrass region is not to be missed; Danville is a distinctive blend of tradition and Southern hospitality with just a touch of formality in a casual, friendly atmosphere.
Additional information is available at: www.centre.edu/location and www.danville kentucky.com.
Benefits: Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Paid Vacation, Paid Sick Days, Paid Holidays, Long Term Disability, 401K/403b Plan