Naperville’s North Central College has rated once again among America’s Best Colleges, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Repeat Performance
This is the 28th consecutive year that North Central College has made it onto the list. This year North Central got the number 17 slot in the Best Regional Universities Midwest Category. That’s two steps higher than its ranking last year.
Other Accolades
The college also made another list, coming in ninth in the Midwest region Most Innovative Schools rankings. It also made its mark in three other categories, coming in at number 21 for Best Colleges for Veterans, number 34 for Best Value Schools, and number 61 for Top Performers on Social Mobility.
“At a time when students are looking for clear measures of quality and reputation, I am pleased to see North Central’s consistently strong rankings,” said Interim President Dr. Donna Carroll in a press release. “These rankings not only underscore the value proposition of North Central College; they also emphasize our entrepreneurial spirit, which positions the College as a leader among our peers.”
How Rankings Are Determined
U.S. News & World Report uses 17 measures of academic quality to come up with its rankings. This year it assessed 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree granting institutions. It looked at items like graduation and retention rates, social mobility, graduation rate performance, faculty resources for the 2021-22 school year, financial resources per student, student selectivity for the fall 2021 entering class, and graduate indebtedness. Academic data from surveys and reliable third-party sources are used in the computations for each factor.
Naperville Staple Since 1861
North Central College was founded in 1861. It is currently home to 2,800 students. The college has more than 70 undergraduate majors, 60 undergraduate minors and concentrations, and 13 graduate degree programs.
Naperville News 17’s Kim Pirc reports.
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