North Central College

North Central College is an esteemed private college located in Naperville, Illinois. The school offers approximately 70 different fields of study through a range of undergraduate majors, minors, and other programs. North Central is organized into three undergraduate colleges — they are the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and the School of Education and Health Sciences. There is also a master’s level program that is organized by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Faculty

The administration of North Central College prioritizes the acquisition, retention, and development of talented educators and researchers. The school’s outstanding team of professionals includes 162 full-time educators, of which 120 are on the tenure track. 100% of the tenure track educators have received terminal degrees or PhDs in their field of expertise. There are also no teaching assistants leading classes and more than half of all courses are taught by full-time faculty members.
Student Body
The student body of North Central College is comprised of 2,404 undergraduate students and 324 graduate students. Most of these students are from Illinois, but up to 40 different states are represented at the school. There are even a range of international students, with 40 different countries finding representation at the school as well.

The average class size is 20 students, resulting in a student/faculty ratio of 13:1. This means students can look forward to more hands-on education from faculty that is not overwhelmed by a vast number of students. Studies have shown that this typically results in better retention of information and more positive educational outcomes.
Student Activities
North Central College is home to more than 75 active clubs, student governments, pre-professional organizations, and special interest groups. These extracurricular activities allow students to develop their social, professional, and spiritual lives in cooperation with their peers. Many of these organizations are led or directed by faculty, though some are primarily student-led under some faculty supervision.

Some broad categories for student activities and organizations include:

• Academics
• Community service and social action
• Faith and spiritual life
• Honor Societies
• Intercultural
• Leadership
• Media and publications
• Music, art, and activities
• Sports and recreation

Athletics

There are 27 intercollegiate sports offered at North Central College. The student-athletes are engaged with NCAA Division III and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. So far, this school has achieved victory in 40 team-based national championships and 138 individual-based national championships. This school’s history also has a strong history of award-winning competitors.

Some of the athletic opportunities offered to students include:

• Baseball (M)
• Basketball (M,W)
• Bowling (W)
• Cross Country (M,W)
• Football (M)
• Golf (M,W)
• Lacrosse (M,W)
• Soccer (M,W)
• Softball (W)
• Swimming and Diving (M,W)
• Tennis (M,W)
• Track and Field – indoor and outdoor (M,W)
• Triathlon (W)
• Volleyball (M,W)
• Wrestling (M,W)

History

North Central College, founded in 1861, was originally named Plainfield College. The school was initially located in Plainfield, Illinois, but moved to Naperville in 1870. In 2017, North Central College acquired Shimer College and introduced the Shimer Great Books School of North Central College.