Honors
Want to take your college experience up a notch? Central College’s Honors Program is for students who dream big, work hard and want more than the “typical” college path. You’ll team up with professors one-on-one, dive into projects that actually excite you and finish with a Senior Honors Project that’s totally yours — whether that’s research, something creative or a mix of both.
Graduate with Honors, and you’ll stand out for med school, law school, grad school — or for jobs in teaching, research, communications and the arts.
Got a 3.5 GPA at Central? You’re in the zone. You can even start exploring Honors your very first semester. If you’re curious, creative or love problem-solving, Honors could be your perfect fit. Our faculty can’t wait to see what you’ll bring to the table.
Beyond Central
Completing the Honors Program gives students a significant advantage in career and graduate school placement. Recent graduates have been accepted to high-profile graduate programs and have been successful in establishing satisfying careers.
Cheyanne Scholl ’20
Cheyanne Scholl ’20, Lab Manager, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
“The Honors Program was one of the most influential things I did at Central. I don’t believe I’d be sitting in my office at an Ivy League University working in research at one of the best veterinary schools in the world right now without the experience I gained through the program.”
Graduate Placement
- Drake University Law School
- D. Program, University of Iowa
- Dental School, University of Iowa
- D./Ph.D., Duke Medical School
- D. Program, University of Nebraska
- Palmer College of Chiropractic
- Master’s in Public Policy, University of Chicago
- D. Program, University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Logan Huinker ’21
Logan Huinker ’21, Information Technology Business Analyst II, Pella Corporation
“The Honors Project was a highlight of my time at Central. I got to work with outstanding faculty mentors and combine my passion for my major with other passions in my life, and it helped me learn what it takes to succeed at projects in the workforce.”
Aidan Johnson ’24
Aidan Johnson ’24, K-2 Special Education Teacher at Pleasantville Elementary
“The Honors Program helped me forge close relationships with faculty, improved my public speaking skills and helped me build a better education background before starting my first teaching position.”
The Central Difference
Elevate Your Education
At Central, we value personal connections between faculty and students, and our Honors students get to take special advantage of this approach to learning. The Honors director helps you navigate the program so that you can successfully graduate with Honors, but the real joy for you will be working one-on-one with faculty in your field of interest.
Regardless of your major, the Honors Program will help you make your college experience truly your own as you discover and pursue your own interests and aim high in your career beyond Central.
Questions about the Honors Program? Contact the Honors director at honors@central.edu.
Analytical and Physical Sciences
Work hands-on in a lab, starting as soon as your first year on campus, and play a key role in important research impacting health, disease treatment and the environment.
Humanities and Social Sciences
Work with faculty mentors who guide you through your own research to address the questions and problems you think are most pressing in your own life and in the world around you.
Visual and Performing Arts
Work with faculty mentors who help you challenge yourself to achieve your highest level of creativity and performance.
Cross Disciplines
The Honors Program gives you a unique opportunity to combine your interests and design your own project and outcomes.