North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private · Midsize city · Cardinals · NCC · Naperville University · North Central · North Central University · University of Naperville
Private institution in Naperville, IL · 2,360 undergraduates · 58% acceptance rate · $60,123 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 19%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 23%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 23%Acceptance rate
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $23,0331,343rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $44,3941,743rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $44,3941,730th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $54,8031,605th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $24,5001,196th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $60,123537th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $51,762459th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 71.1%381st highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 81.7%581st highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 58.3%374th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1165494th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 25346th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,360845th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 12.0:1794th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 24.7%1,485th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 18 mi (ORD)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 53 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | bachelors | $65,905 | $63,501 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $60,920 | $58,921 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness | bachelors | $54,713 | — |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $54,644 | $56,641 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $52,733 | $45,305 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $52,464 | $46,478 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationCommunications | bachelors | $47,930 | $45,584 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $47,595 | $43,240 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $44,356 | $43,000 |
| SociologySocial Sciences | bachelors | $42,682 | $33,281 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $42,338 | $40,441 |
| Political Science and GovernmentSocial Sciences | bachelors | $41,025 | — |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: United Methodistsource
- Founded in 1861source
- Athletic nickname: "Cardinals"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- School colors: #BA0C2F and #FFFFFFsource
- Mascot: Chippy the Cardinalsource
- Motto: "Lux Veritas (Latin)"source
- Campus size: about 69 acressource
- Formerly known as "{{collapsible list|"source
- Formerly known as "* North Central:"source
- Formerly known as "* Plainfield College" (1861–1864)source
- Formerly known as "* North-Western College" (1864–1926)source
- Formerly known as "* Shimer:"source
- Formerly known as "* Mount Carroll Seminary" (1852–1896)source
- Formerly known as "* Frances Shimer Academy of the University of Chicago" (1896–1907)source
- Formerly known as "* Frances Shimer Junior College" (1907–1950)source
- Formerly known as "* Shimer College" (1950–2017)source
- Formerly known as "}}"source
- Athletic conference: CCIWsource
- Fight song: ""Cardinal Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: James Henry Breastedsource
Athletics — 15 sports
NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Football: 2024, 2022, 2019
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Key links
- Official websitenorthcentralcollege.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 147660)
- Compare colleges in ILRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IllinoisEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: North Central College vs Augustana CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 15 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.