Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·northcentralcollege.edu
6-yr Graduation
64%
-6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
3,003
peer median 3,003
Avg net price
$21,044
-$3.1k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersDocumentsGrantsAlumni

About

North Central College is a private college in Naperville, Illinois, United States. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and has 73 undergraduate majors of study, 17 minors, 25 graduate programs, and 4 certificate programs offered by four undergraduate colleges/schools and one School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
4,596
4,596 candidates competed
Admitted
3,554
77.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
482
13.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
64%-6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
55%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
64%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

8.8pp gap
Pell recipients
58%103 of 177
Non-Pell (all)
67%249 of 373
Subsidized loan, no Pell
65%134 of 205
No Federal Aid
68%115 of 168

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.8-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 73 Title IV programs, 24 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 49 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
73
Passing
24
32.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

73programs
  • Passing24 · 32.9%
  • No Data49 · 67.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
24
No data
49

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

24
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+31.7%
$45,838 vs $34,808
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+33.9%
$46,605 vs $34,808
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+34.3%
$46,744 vs $34,808
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+41.4%
$49,224 vs $34,808
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Master's Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+41.9%
$65,846 vs $46,411
Romance Languages Literatures and Linguistics
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
+46.6%
$51,018 vs $34,808
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+47.2%
$51,247 vs $34,808
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+49.6%
$52,062 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

17
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
55%
$27,000 debt · $49,224 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
53%
$24,679 debt · $46,605 earn
Romance Languages Literatures and Linguistics
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
53%
$27,000 debt · $51,018 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
53%
$27,000 debt · $51,247 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
47%
$24,500 debt · $52,062 earn
East Asian Languages Literatures and Linguistics
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
46%
$26,649 debt · $57,424 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
45%
$25,750 debt · $57,192 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
44%
$24,711 debt · $56,281 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1914Next review Aug 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 5

  1. Apr 2025Initial Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist
  2. Aug 2022Grant Substantive Change: Other
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  3. Mar 2020Initial Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  4. Jan 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  5. Jun 2010Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,507
$30–48k$13,486
$48–75k$16,362
$75–110k$20,590
$110k+$26,961

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$21,044
-$3,141vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $24,185
Federal loans
48.0%
In-state tuition
$45,726
Out-of-state
$45,726

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 843 students received $4.8M in Pell grants, alongside $25.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
843
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.8M
$4,801,187 total
Direct Loans
$25.8M
2,702 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.6M
854 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.7M
1,122 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$7.5M
302 loan awards
Parent PLUS$4.6M
257 loan awards
Grad PLUS$5.4M
167 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 813 borrowers who entered repayment, 13 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
813
Defaulted
13
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.2%
2017
3.9%
2018
3.6%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at North Central College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs70
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

775 total completions
01Business
22028.4%
02Health Professions
13917.9%
03Parks/Recreation
729.3%
04Education
719.2%
05Social Sciences
688.8%
06Psychology
668.5%
07Visual/Performing Arts
465.9%
08Biological Sciences
384.9%
09Computer Sciences
303.9%
10English Language
253.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
3,003
12-mo unduplicated
3,385
Undergraduate
2,674
Graduate
711

Gender split

Men
44%1,487
Women
56%1,898

Race / ethnicity composition

White
59.3%
Hispanic
19.2%
Black
6.5%
Non-resident
4.2%
Two or more
4.1%
Asian
3.8%
Unknown
2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
741
482 M · 259 W
Women athletes
35.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$5.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$43K
$43K
Head-coach salaries
$60K
$50K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 15

Track and Field (Indoor)
111 M · 67 W
$294K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
107 M · 68 W
$294K
Football
142 M · —
$1.1M
Wrestling
47 M · 49 W
$457K
Cross Country
56 M · 13 W
$149K
Soccer
36 M · 31 W
$350K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.10
6 offenses · 2,856 students

3-year trend

3.302 yrs ago4.821 yr ago2.10Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
28
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Robbery
1
Fondling
1

By location

6total
  • On campus4
  • Public property2

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
2
Stalking
5 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons11
Drugs010
Liquor071

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
12.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
190

North Central College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions North Central College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNorth Central College
64%—3,003$21,044Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Augustana College
73%62.7%2,570$22,736Baccalaureate
Baldwin Wallace University
67%75.7%3,305$27,603Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Belmont University
70%95.3%8,803$33,147Doctoral/Professional
Butler University
79%85.1%5,746$36,041Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California Lutheran University
70%75.7%3,351$30,109Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Calvin University
74%70.9%3,681$22,992Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Capital University
60%70.2%2,263$22,576Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Dominican University
55%90.3%3,803$11,745Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Drake University
73%63.9%4,345$29,127Doctoral/Professional
Drury University
62%57.6%1,615$20,831Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Elmhurst University
70%73.6%3,997$24,185Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Elon University
84%66.3%7,239$41,555Doctoral/Professional
Hamline University
60%87.6%2,565$20,744Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Heidelberg University
52%85.8%1,091$20,556Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Illinois Wesleyan University
75%39.3%1,582$28,199Baccalaureate
John Carroll University
79%80.9%2,864$28,746Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Lawrence University
77%63.9%1,417$23,401Baccalaureate
Ohio Northern University
72%74.4%3,140$24,478Baccalaureate
Otterbein University
68%84.5%2,332$19,237Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Pacific Lutheran University
69%78.0%2,797$19,589Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Pacific University
67%89.6%3,427$35,273Doctoral/Professional
Rockhurst University
74%69.6%3,577$25,884Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
St Catherine University
61%91.8%3,651$19,764Doctoral/Professional
University of Evansville
65%77.6%2,114$18,499Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Redlands
67%82.7%3,087$30,031Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Valparaiso University
70%89.4%2,579$18,578Doctoral/Professional
Wagner College
65%88.0%2,001$28,241Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Wheaton College
85%87.4%2,874$26,975Baccalaureate
Peer group median70%77.8%3,003$24,185

Institutions like North Central College

Explore the federal data for institutions in North Central College's comparison group.

IPEDS

Reports & documents (2)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of North Central College (30)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Joe Birkett
  • Dick Blick
    Athletics
  • James Henry Breasted
  • Levert Carr
  • Marc Chandler
  • David Gum Awng
  • Delbert Dwight Davis
  • Satyan Devadoss
  • Alvin C. Eurich
  • Harris Fawell
  • John Warne Gates
  • Anthony Gomez
Showing 1–12 of 30
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about North Central College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about North Central College.

What is the graduation rate at North Central College?

North Central College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 64% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend North Central College?

North Central College reports a total enrollment of 3,003 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at North Central College?

The average net price at North Central College is $21,044 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at North Central College?

North Central College's yield rate is 13.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is North Central College located?

North Central College is located in Naperville, Illinois 60540.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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