Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) and is regularly rated as one of the top colleges in the South. Mentioned in the Templeton Guide’s Colleges that encourage Character Development and in Peterson’s Top Colleges for Science, the College is also highly ranked in U.S. News & World Report. Princeton Review just named us one the Best 373 Colleges for 2011 and places us among the top institutions in the southeast, building upon similar recognitions since 2004. Newsweek has lauded Centenary as the “Hottest Liberal Arts School You’ve Never Heard Of” and Forbes.com has called us one of “America’s Best Colleges.”
There are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States. Centenary College of Louisiana is the 43rd oldest. It was founded in 1825 by the State in the last days of the 5th president of the U.S. – James Monroe. Known then as the College of Louisiana, it was located in the village of Jackson.
The students were primarily the sons of planters and professional men. The whole operation was mostly male -– students, faculty, administration, and staff. Tuition was $50 per year. Room, board, and firewood were $7 per month.
The College of Louisiana had established itself as one of the leading educational institutions in the country, rivaling even Harvard’s enrollment, as nearly 300 students showed up for some sessions. But its location off the beaten track and the State’s failure to support it financially led to its merger with Centenary College, a Mississippi Methodist institution. That college was founded to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of John Wesley’s organization of the Methodist Societies of England. Centenary was suffering financially and bought the plant and buildings at Jackson and moved to the Louisiana location. The selling price was $10,000; however, the Methodist conference of Mississippi paid only $166.66, never paying the balance.
Courses Offered
Undergraduate Programs
- Art & Visual Culture
- Studio Art
- Visual Culture
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Biophysics
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Management
- Chemistry
- Communication
- Film/Television/Video
- New Media
- Professional Writing
- Economics
- English
- French
- Geology
- History
- Mathematics
- Theoretical
- Computational
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Theatre
- Individualized
- Allied Health Tracks
- Medical Technology
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology 3/2
- Business / Foreign Language Coordinate Program
- Christian Leadership Center
- Computer Science minor
- Education (5-year program)
- Engineering 3/2
- Environment and Society minor
- Gender Studies minor
- Museum Management
- Physics minor
- Pre-Dentistry
- Pre-Law
- Pre-Medicine
- Pre-Veterinary
- Spanish minor
Graduate Programs
- Business — MBA
- Education — MAT
Colleges
- Associate College of South
- Southern Association of Colleges & Schools
Contact Details
Centenary College of Louisiana
2911 Centenary Boulevard
Shreveport, LA 71104
1-800-234-4448
1-800-259-6447
Official Website: http://www.centenary.edu/
