North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

North Central College admitted 77.3% of applicants university-wide (3,554 of 4,596).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide77.3%3,5544,596
In-state77.5%2,8843,722
Out-of-state81.4%531652
International applicants62.1%133214
Men76.2%1,5952,094
Women78.3%1,9582,500

Also offers Restrictive Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 3,554 admitted students, 482 enrolled (13.6% yield).

North Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1040–1310
ACT (mid-50%)
24–29
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.004.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

North Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $64,208/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$45,446
Fees, housing, food, books & other$18,762
Sticker cost of attendance$64,208/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$12,507
$30k–48k$13,486
$48k–75k$16,362
$75k–110k$20,590
Over $110k$26,961

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Presidential ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Honors ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Achievement ScholarshipUp to $12,000 per year (Merit)
  • Fine Arts ScholarshipsVaries (Departmental)
  • North Central GrantVaries (Need Based)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • International Merit Scholarship$10,000-$25,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Presidential ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Honors ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Achievement ScholarshipUp to $12,000 per year (Merit)
  • #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship50% of tuition (Merit)
  • Fine Arts ScholarshipsVaries (Departmental)
  • International Need-Based GrantVaries (Need Based)

North Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • North Central Online Application or Common Application
  • High school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Writing samples, letters of recommendation, documentation of extenuating circumstances (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • North Central Online Application or Common Application
  • High school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Writing samples, letters of recommendation, documentation of extenuating circumstances (optional)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

North Central College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

North Central College requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$60,123
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
64%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
77.1%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$24,500
At graduation

North Central College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • Forbes: #458
  • Niche: #619

Deadlines

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (25%), Psychology (11%), Visual & performing arts (9%).

Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 51% of class sections have under 20 students.

North Central College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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