Here I explain what the official data say about this public university in New Britain, Connecticut. I am not going to tell you whether it is “the right one” for your child. That depends on three things only your family can bring together: what they want to study, what you can pay, and what this school actually offers. This entire article is about that third piece.
Who this university is
Central Connecticut State University is a public four-year institution. The federal system that classifies colleges and universities in this country places it as a master's university with large programs, and at an earlier point it also recorded research doctorates in its graduate profile. That does not tell you which specific program exists today for your child; it tells you what type of institution it is.
It is also, according to that same classification using data from several years ago, a medium-sized and primarily residential school: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students lived in institution-controlled housing, and at least half studied full time. It also appears among the institutions that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to arrive here after studying somewhere else, that label does not tell you how many credits they will bring or how many they will lose along the way. Ask that in writing before enrolling, not afterward.
The university does not appear in three specific designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in the federal directory, 138 do carry one of those three labels. Central Connecticut's lack of them says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations there are, and, better yet, talk to someone who already studies there.
It is in New Britain, within the Hartford metropolitan area. The Census classification places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, but outside the principal city. If your child plans to live at home and drive to class, do them a favor: travel that route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. The real travel time is almost never what the map says.
The size of the community
In the most recently reported fall, Central Connecticut State University had 9,712 enrolled students. It is not a small school or a giant one; it falls right in the 5,000 to 9,999 range, one of the most common among its peers. Of that total, 7,917 are undergraduates and 1,795 are graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor's-degree school.
Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 20 reported being Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. It is not a majority, but it is not unusual either: compared with 519 similar public four-year schools in this census, it ranks above the middle of the group. The campus is nearly evenly split between men and women —46 out of every 100 are women— and 16 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old, so it is not only a campus of recent high-school graduates.
One fact worth keeping: out of every 100 new students, 90 reported a permanent address in Connecticut when applying. It is a mostly local school. If your family's address is in another state, do not assume anything about the rate you will be charged: ask directly, because the address reported in this count and tuition classification are different things.
Being large does not mean more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your child. Always ask about the specific major, not the school as a whole.
How the academic year works and what prior credit they accept
The calendar uses semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The university stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience —independent study, work experience, prior licenses or certifications, among other avenues— as well as credit for military training. It also enrolls high-school students in college-level courses for credit, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard but necessary truth: the university's declaration of these pathways does not mean it will grant your child credit for the specific work they bring. It does not say how many AP points it requires or how many credits it grants for each exam. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not budget for any savings of time or money until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,778 bachelor's degrees across 21 program families. None accounted for more than 30 out of every 100 degrees; the largest was business and administration, with 25 out of every 100. It is a broad offering, without a single major dominating everything. But 21 families with records are not 21 majors: each family groups several programs, and some rows may report zero. Verify the exact name of the program that interests your child.
The official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 14 to 1, a low figure compared with its peers. But be careful: this aggregate ratio does not tell you the actual size of a first-year classroom. By itself, it does not show that more attention is available for each student.
The university also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, credit-bearing developmental education, and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
What the admissions process is like
Central Connecticut State University does not have open admission: there are elements it reviews before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks seven as required: high-school transcript, grade-point average, class rank, completion of the required course plan, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. Work experience is considered if submitted, although it is not required. The application fee is $50.
It is a long application. The essay is required, so tell your child to begin it in the summer, not in the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted.
Now, the numbers on how likely admission is. In the 2023 cycle, the university received 8,282 first-time applications and offered admission to 6,255. That is 76 out of every 100 admitted —an accessible figure, although a little below the midpoint of its peers on this measure. Your child has a real reason to apply. They also have a reason to complete their application fully and on time, because that percentage is from one cycle, not a fixed rule: if there are more applicants in the year that applies to them, the figure can decline on its own.
Here is something many families overlook. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 23 ended up enrolling that fall. In other words, out of every 4 students who receive a yes, roughly one decides to attend. And this is not a mark against the school —the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What I can tell you is this: what others decided tells you nothing about what you will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price —the number the year will truly cost you— before crossing this school off or leaving it on the list.
Regarding tests: the SAT and ACT are not required here. Of the students who enrolled, 25 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 480 and 600 in reading and writing, and between 480 and 580 in math. That range is not a minimum your child must reach or a guarantee if they do; it is simply what students who were already enrolled and chose to submit their scores reported.
If your child plans to transfer here from another university, in fall 2023, 798 undergraduate students arrived through that path —a high figure. But you also need to look in the other direction: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor's degree, 28 out of every 100 transferred to another school without finishing here, a proportion on the high side compared with its peers. The report does not say why each person left, and one important detail: a transfer student does not count as a graduate of this university, even if they finish their degree somewhere else. Keep that idea in mind when you get to the graduation section.
How much it costs and what you will actually pay
At Central Connecticut State University, among 189 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,562. Among 133 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,178; among 258 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,300. For dependent students, the band adds their parents' income and their own.
The difference between the average for the lower-income band (189 students) and that for the higher-income band (258 students) is $9,738. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $17,207.
$11,562 was the average net price for lower-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps determine whether it is worth requesting the financial-aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask before applying.
Scholarships, aid, and loans: separate the piles
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students, 72 received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid, averaging $7,225 per year among those who received it. And 36 out of every 100 received Pell, the federal grant for low-income families. Be careful: the percentage and the average do not share the same reference group, so do not multiply them together to produce a calculation that does not exist.
Regarding loans: half of undergraduate students —50 out of every 100— received a federal student loan in school year 2022-23, and each received an average of $6,579 that year. This is a high proportion compared with similar schools. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $26,316, not including interest —and that is a calculation worth making before the first signature, not afterward.
This average covers only federal loans in the student's name in one year. It does not include what parents borrow through Parent PLUS loans, credit cards, bank debt, or the total debt someone has when graduating. That number is not in this report. What I can tell you with certainty is this: financing with debt is common here, not the exception. Wait for your child's letter before committing to any amount.
The university also reports a tuition installment-payment plan and participation in a Promise program, two mechanisms worth asking about by their exact names.
Campus life and available supports
Central Connecticut State University does have its own housing, and it does not require all full-time, first-time students to live there —although that does not rule out a specific program requiring it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. Reported maximum housing capacity is 2,364 students. The existence of a room does not guarantee a bed will be available for your child: request in writing the year's rate, the application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
For those pursuing the military path, the university marked ROTC opportunities in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. Being marked does not mean the program is taken on this specific campus; ask directly by name before building your child's plan around it.
In athletics, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. Membership belongs to the school, not your child: if they are interested in playing, write directly to the coach and ask about roster space, division, and athletic scholarship.
Regarding distance education: the university offers online courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, but only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes remotely. The vast majority use a mix of formats. It also reported offering at least one complete distance program, although the data do not confirm whether that program exists at the undergraduate level —confirm it by major.
The library operates with hired staff, spending above the $100,000 threshold, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary loan. Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a point of contact for military families, and a student veterans organization.
How likely your child is to stay and graduate
This is perhaps the section most worth reading carefully.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 full time and seeking a bachelor's degree, 79 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already completed their degree one year later. It is a figure a little above the midpoint of its peers. But remember something: someone who transferred to another university and continues studying there counts the same in this number as someone who left school altogether. Not returning is not the same as dropping out.
Now, graduation. Of the students who entered in 2017 as first-time, full-time bachelor's-degree seekers, 49 out of every 100 had a degree from this school six years later. At four years —the timeline most families budget for— the figure is only 28 out of every 100, 21 points lower. It is nearly half and half at six years, and it falls below the midpoint of its peers on this measure.
I am telling you plainly because it is exactly what you need to know: the difference between four and six years matters to your budget. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or salary. Before committing, ask in writing how long the specific program that interests your child usually takes and how its required courses are scheduled.
There is a third measure, at eight years, that counts something different: it includes both those who entered for the first time and those who already had prior college experience, full time and part time. Of that broader cohort, 60 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 57 out of every 100 —five points below the group without Pell. And 15 out of every 100 had unknown enrollment status: that does not mean they dropped out or continued elsewhere; it simply means the report could not determine where they were.
None of these numbers tells you what will happen to your child. Their effort, choice of major, and way of using what the school offers are up to them. Your role is to understand these numbers before signing and ask about the specific supports that exist to help the degree be completed in the time you planned together.
How to put all this together
You now know an important piece of Central Connecticut State University: its size, who studies there, how it admits students, how much it costs on paper and what it really costs based on family income, and how likely, according to official figures, a student is to stay and graduate on different timelines.
None of these figures tells you whether this is the right university for your child. Put this piece together with those other two. From that comes a plan you can sustain, not merely a list of colleges with a good name.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from official data reported by Central Connecticut State University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Best College Aid does not represent Central Connecticut State University or any government agency; this article is independent informational material.