SHREVEPORT, La. — Centenary College of Louisiana has been named a Top National Liberal Arts College in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.
Centenary ranked No. 132 among National Liberal Arts Colleges and No. 121 among Top Private National Liberal Arts Colleges.
The Shreveport college also ranked No. 45 among Top Performers in Social Mobility, a measure that recognizes colleges enrolling and graduating students who receive federal Pell Grants. Just over 40% of Centenary students receive Pell Grants, according to the college, and every admitted student receives some form of financial assistance.
“Recognition as a Top National Liberal Arts College tells students and their families that an excellent education and an affordable one are not mutually exclusive,” Centenary President Christopher Holoman said. “Just over 40% of our students receive Pell Grants, and we are proud to help them earn degrees that open doors for the rest of their lives.”
Centenary has a 9-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, with nearly two-thirds of its classes enrolling 20 or fewer students. The college also reported a 94% medical school acceptance rate and maintains partnerships with other institutions that provide pathways to graduate and professional programs, including medicine and law.
The 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluated more than 1,700 colleges and universities using as many as 17 measures of academic quality and graduate success.
Student outcomes account for more than half of a school’s score, including graduation and retention rates, graduation rates among Pell Grant recipients and graduate earnings. For the 2027 rankings, U.S. News added a measure comparing graduates’ earnings four years after graduation with typical earnings in their fields of study.
National Liberal Arts Colleges are institutions focused primarily on undergraduate education that award most of their degrees in arts and sciences disciplines.