Does Central College have a tennis program?

Yes. Central College fields men's tennis (NCAA Division III, American Rivers Conference[2]) and women's tennis (NCAA Division III, American Rivers Conference[2]), per its Equity in Athletics filing to the U.S. Department of Education.

Where is Central College?

Central College is in Pella, IA, in the Plains region of the United States.

How much does Central College cost?

The College Scorecard lists an average cost of attendance of $37,773 a year, and an average net price of $23,377 after grants and scholarships.

Central College

Pella, IA · private, nonprofit · 1,070 undergraduates

Which tennis teams does Central College field?

Central College, in Pella, IA, fields 2 tennis teams, men's tennis and women's tennis, competing in NCAA Division III as a member of the American Rivers Conference[2].

The men's roster is the larger of the two, 23 players against 18, in the school's latest Equity in Athletics filing.

Central College's men's tennis roster has grown over 5 years, from 17 players in 2020 to 23 in 2025. That 2025 roster is well above the NCAA Division III median of 12, by 92%, and about the same distance from the American Rivers Conference[2] median. Central College lists 1 head coach and 1 assistant for men's tennis, which works out to about 11.5 players per coach, well above the American Rivers Conference[2] median of 5, by 130%.

Central College's women's tennis roster has moved around, as low as 15 in 2023 and as high as 22 in 2021, and ended 2025 at 18. That 2025 roster is well above the NCAA Division III median of 10, by 80%, and about the same distance from the American Rivers Conference[2] median. Central College lists 1 head coach and 1 assistant for women's tennis, which works out to about 9 players per coach, well above the American Rivers Conference[2] median of 3.7, by 145%.

Each team page below covers roster size and its trend, coaching staff, spending per player against conference and division medians, and what the school and town are like for a recruit.

How does Central College fund its athletes?

Central College reported 629 athletes across all sports in its 2025 Equity in Athletics filing, 422 men and 207 women, a roster count that leans heavily male.

It reported no athletically related student aid for that year, which is what to expect from NCAA Division III: any help with cost here comes through academic or need-based aid, not a tennis scholarship.

Recruiting spending was $48,359 for men's sports and $22,499 for women's, tilted toward the men's side, or about $115 and $109 per athlete.

What is Central College like academically?

Central College is a small private, nonprofit college whose highest award is the bachelor's degree that admits 86% of applicants, open to most applicants by national standards, where the median college admits 78%.

Admitted students' SAT scores average 1147, so a solid but not exceptional academic record fits the typical admit.

The full cost of attendance is around $37,773 a year, above the national median of $25,497, but the average family paid about $23,377 after grants and scholarships, in the above the median nationally, so aid covers roughly 38% of the sticker price on average.

66% of students finish their degree within six years, above the median of 52% and 80% of first-year students return for a second year.

Ten years after enrolling, former students earn a median of $54,317, among the top quarter of colleges.

What can you study at Central College?

Biological & Biomedical Sciences is the largest field at 23% of degrees, followed by Business, Management & Marketing (22%) and Education (9%).

The bachelor's degree programs below awarded the most degrees in the most recent College Scorecard field-of-study data.

Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (39 degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (31 degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (19 degrees)
Biology, General (19 degrees)
Sociology (17 degrees)
Psychology, General (16 degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (13 degrees)
Engineering, General (12 degrees)
Communication and Media Studies (8 degrees)
Computer Science (8 degrees)

What is Pella, IA like to live in?

Central College sits in Pella, a town well outside any metro area of about 11,000 people in Marion County, Iowa.

The median household in Pella earns about $81,201, which is above the Iowa median ($73,147) but about the national median ($78,538).

Housing costs more here than in most of Iowa: a typical home is valued around $259,600, 33% above the state median and rents are typical for the state, about $1,041 a month.

Getting around is quick: the average commute is 13 minutes against a national average near 27, and most people drive, though 9% of workers walk.

It reads as a college town: 11% of residents are 20 to 24, roughly 1.6 times the national share, and the median age of 35 is close to the country's 39.

48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, more than the Iowa average of 31%.

Frequently asked questions

Does Central College have a tennis program?: Yes. Central College fields men's tennis (NCAA Division III, American Rivers Conference[2]) and women's tennis (NCAA Division III, American Rivers Conference[2]), per its Equity in Athletics filing to the U.S. Department of Education.
Where is Central College?: Central College is in Pella, IA, in the Plains region of the United States.
How much does Central College cost?: The College Scorecard lists an average cost of attendance of $37,773 a year, and an average net price of $23,377 after grants and scholarships.