What is North Central College’s Compass Score?

Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 33% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.

How much does North Central College cost after financial aid?

The average net price is $21,044 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.

How hard is it to get into North Central College?

North Central College admitted 77% of applicants in the most recent federal data.

How do North Central College’s graduates do?

64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,123; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,500.

Regional university

#8 Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Illinois

North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $21,044 a year

Median debt at graduation: $24,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

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Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In Illinois

Academic Excellence

B+

Very good · Top 28%

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score64%
First-year retention 20% of score77%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,213 · ACT 26.5
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score12 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$11,500

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family income	Price after aid
Up to $30,000	$12,507
$30,001–$48,000	$13,486
$48,001–$75,000	$16,362
$75,001–$110,000	$20,590
Over $110,000	$26,961

Full cost of attendance before aid: $57,219 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	2,397
Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023	Men 49% · Women 51%
First-generation students College Scorecard	27%
First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023	19%
Total students	2,856
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$21,044
Cost of attendance (per year)	$57,219
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,500
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	64%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years	68%
Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years	68%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years	75%
First-year retention	77%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$60,123
Admission rate	77%
Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24	No application fee
Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026	About $1,581 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants	24%

Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1055–1310ACT 24–29

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1213
SAT reading & writing	530–650
SAT math	525–660
ACT composite	24–29
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value: Good · Top 45% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
Major	Median earnings
Management science	$105,350
Finance	$81,562
Economics	$80,494
Computer science	$79,877
Accounting	$78,125
Human resources	$71,555
Marketing	$71,123
Entrepreneurship	$68,750
Business administration	$65,992
Public relations	$60,573
Kinesiology and exercise science	$60,018
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$57,424
Design	$57,192
Sociology	$56,281
Psychology	$52,062
Secondary education	$51,247
Romance languages	$51,018
Teacher education	$49,224
Music	$46,744
Theatre	$46,605
Broadcasting	$45,838

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Communication studies, Computer engineering, Electrical engineering, English, Fine arts, German, Global studies, Graphic communications, Health sciences, History, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, Journalism, Liberal arts, Management information systems, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Natural Sciences, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other social sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Religious studies, Social sciences, Software and media applications, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
Field	Share of degrees
Business	25%
Psychology	12%
Visual and performing arts	7%
Biology	7%
Social sciences	7%

Campus life

Setting	City
Part-time undergraduates	1%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older	4%
On-campus room and board (per year)	$14,688
Sports	NCAA Division III · College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
ROTC	Army · Air Force
Study abroad	Offered
Students per faculty member	12 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability office	About 11%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability services	Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time	57%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student	$46,017IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm space	For about 59% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline service	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)About 19 miles away · about 1 hour by car
Town population	150,692Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or more	ChicagoAbout 24 miles away · about 45 minutes by car
Typical weather	23°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Lisle-Morton Arboretum, IL, about 4 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
Category	This campus	U.S. rate
Rape	0.00	0.07
Robbery	0.00	0.01
Aggravated assault	0.00	0.04
Burglary	0.67	0.08
Motor vehicle theft	0.33	0.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is North Central College’s Compass Score?: Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 33% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does North Central College cost after financial aid?: The average net price is $21,044 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into North Central College?: North Central College admitted 77% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do North Central College’s graduates do?: 64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,123; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,500.

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About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 147660
Carnegie classification: Master's university (small programs)
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
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