North Central vs Aurora University

North Central College and Aurora University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, a private liberal arts college, boasts a 70% acceptance rate and a student body of over 3,000 undergraduates. Aurora, a private university with a more diverse student body of over 4,000 undergraduates, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 75%. While both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, North Central is known for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, while Aurora excels in business, nursing, and education. With graduation rates of 68% and 58% respectively, both colleges are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Aurora University logo

Aurora University

North Central College logo

North Central College

Overview

Location Aurora, Illinois Naperville, Illinois
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 78.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.4% 68.4%
Application fees $25
SAT range 960 - 1130 1030 - 1230
ACT range 19 - 24 22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 43.0%
Students submitting ACT score 14.0% 17.0%
Total number of applicants 3,101 4,551
Total number of admissions given out 2,680 3,113
Admitted students who chose to enroll 822 512
Yield rate 30.7% 16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $35,160 $61,098
Average net price $17,410 $26,207
Tuition $26,400 $42,026
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,840

Meal plan: $5,440
Room/dormitory: $7,998

Meal plan: $3,890
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $18,441
100.0%
Average amount $28,670
Students receiving federal student loan 56.0%
Average amount $4,944
60.0%
Average amount $5,156
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $12,101
25.0%
Average amount $6,992

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,114
Men 33.6% Women 66.4%
2,404
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students 2,051
Men 20.7% Women 79.3%
324
Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 23.4% 26.8%
International students 0.5% 3.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 641 1,333
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Texas California Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 20:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 55.4% 64.4%
Dropout rate 43.8% 35.1%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,923
  • Year 2: $65,238
  • Year 3: $70,820
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,230
  • Year 2: $66,941
  • Year 3: $65,026
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,536
  • Year 2: $62,661
  • Year 3: $64,344
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,727
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $62,891
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,719
  • Year 2: $47,200
  • Year 3: $60,344
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,889
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $56,830
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,853
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $55,663
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $52,464
  • Year 3: $55,626
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,398
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $53,070
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,164
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $52,090
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,561
  • Year 2: $63,501
  • Year 3: $74,669
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,155
  • Year 2: $62,260
  • Year 3: $71,061
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,815
  • Year 2: $58,921
  • Year 3: $66,245
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,117
  • Year 2: $46,478
  • Year 3: $64,795
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,621
  • Year 2: $45,305
  • Year 3: $51,292
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,923
  • Year 2: $43,240
  • Year 3: $50,109
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,795
  • Year 2: $43,000
  • Year 3: $49,516
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,391
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $47,721
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,154
  • Year 2: $45,584
  • Year 3: $46,743
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,411
  • Year 2: $40,441
  • Year 3: $44,647

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