Undergraduate education and teaching are priorities at this liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, which stands out for its dedication to getting students to study abroad, land an internship and graduate — all in four years.
The college’s “Centre Commitment” guarantees that students who follow an approved academic path will be able to achieve those three lofty goals.
In fact, 79% of students study internationally, thanks in part to the college’s plethora of short-term trips over winter and summer breaks, and about half of those students go abroad more than once.
Students can choose from about 30 majors — or design their own. In total, there are more than 50 academic programs, including 14 pre-professional tracks and a dual-degree program in engineering, through which students attend Centre at first and then go on to the University of Kentucky or Washington University in St. Louis. Centre also offers a master’s in education in partnership with Vanderbilt University and University of Louisville.
For fun, students can choose from more than 85 clubs and organizations, such as the competitive esports gaming program or the not-so-competitive yarn art club. Life on campus is tight-knit, with about 98% of the school’s 1,400 students living there.
The small college can boast of multiple moments in the national spotlight over its 200-year history, including hosting two vice presidential debates and beating Harvard’s undefeated football team as a relative unknown in 1921.
