North Central College   Naperville, IL

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Be central at North Central College
Private, four-year comprehensive liberal arts college; highly selective; primarily residential; primarily undergraduate; affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Founded
1861

Campus
59 acres of beautifully kept grounds in the heart of the Historic District of Naperville, IL.

Admission
North Central is selective, and typically half of the incoming freshman class ranks in the top 25 percent of their high school class; average composite ACT for 2006 freshmen was 24.6.

Enrollment
Total enrollment is 2,550 students, including 2,020 full-time undergraduates (1,060 live in residence halls) and 535 part-time undergraduate and graduate students.

Tuition, room, board and fees for 2006-07
Full-time undergraduate tuition $24,159; room, board and fees, $8,652; total: $32,811. Part-time undergraduate tuition: $1,818 per course. Graduate tuition $1,122 to $1,896 per course depending on program.

Financial aid & scholarships
100 percent of those who have financial need receive financial aid and nearly 90 percent of all first year students receive aid; generous need- and merit-based aid available; numerous merit-based scholarships.

Location
Retaining the charm of an early 19th century settlement but among the fastest-growing communities in the nation, Naperville has been ranked the second "best place to live in America" by Money magazine; historic downtown Naperville offers many family-owned shops and fine restaurants; the nearby Illinois Research and Development Corridor provides extraordinary opportunities for student internships; the excitement and cultural riches of Chicago's Loop are an hour away by train, with a station just blocks from campus.

Students
Students come from 28 states and 32 foreign countries; 58 percent women, 42 percent men; 12.6 percent African Americans, Asians and Latinos; average composite ACT for 2006 freshmen was 24.6.

Programs of study
58 undergraduate majors leading to a bachelor’s degree; master’s degrees available in business administration, computer science, education, leadership studies, liberal studies and management information systems.

Faculty
125 full-time, 87 percent with doctorate or terminal degree.

Courses taught by graduate teaching assistants
0

Student/faculty ratio
14:1

Average class size
19

Academic calendar
3 10-week terms, summer session, December interim term; day, evening and weekend class formats.
 
Off-campus studies
10-week North Central programs in Costa Rica, London, China and Japan as well as an exciting Chicago Term; exchange and direct enrollment bring total to 34 programs on 5 continents.

Technology
Voice, video and full high-speed Internet access from residence hall rooms, classrooms and computer labs; student Web pages.

Honor Societies
9, including Alpha Lambda Delta (freshman), Beta Beta Beta (biology), Kappa Delti Pi (education), Delta Phi Alpha (German), Mu Kappa Tau (marketing), Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics),  Phi Alpha Theta (history), Psi Chi (psychology) and Sigma Tau Delta (English); our "College Scholars" Honors Program offers exceptional students a challenging and broadening intellectual experience during their entire time at North Central.
 
Athletics
22 intercollegiate sports in NCAA Division III and the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin; 22 national championships; 32 consecutive CCIW men’s cross country championships.

Accreditations & affiliations
Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Council for Higher Education Accreditation; University Senate of the United Methodist Church; American Chemical Society; Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education; charter member of the Associated New American Colleges.

What top college guides say about North Central College

U.S. News & World Report's "America’s Best Colleges" guide, fall 2008
The nation's most widely read college ranking survey has listed North Central College among the top tier of Midwest colleges for the past 14 years.  Check it out  at usnews.com.

Princeton Review
Editors of the online Princeton Review identify North Central College as one of the "Best in the Midwest" based on surveys collected directly from students. Says the Review, "We believe these schools uphold the standards of our Best Midwestern College  distinction and provide students with a wide breadth of excellent schools to consider." Students cite many opportunities due to location boasting, "you cannot beat being so close to Chicago." But the Windy city isn't the only reason students choose North Central College. The school offers "a wonderful study abroad program," as well as "a great science department."

Peterson's Competitive Colleges
North Central College is among an elite list of only some 400 colleges selected for inclusion in this guide because they "routinely attract and admit an above-average share of the nation’s high achieving students."