North Central vs Vassar College
North Central College and Vassar College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, a private liberal arts college in Naperville, Illinois, boasts a 70% acceptance rate and a student body of over 3,000 undergraduates. Vassar, a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, has a more selective admissions process with a 28% acceptance rate and a smaller undergraduate population of around 2,500. Both colleges offer a diverse range of academic programs, with popular majors at North Central including Business Administration, Biology, and Psychology, while Vassar students commonly pursue majors in Economics, Political Science, and English. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' graduation rates, student demographics, and other key differences that may influence your college decision.
|
![]() North Central College |
![]() Vassar College |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Naperville, Illinois | Poughkeepsie, New York |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
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 | 77.0% | 95.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | |
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 68.4% | 20.1% |
Application fees | $25 |
Undergraduate:
$65
Graduate:
$65
|
SAT range | 1030 - 1230 | 1420 - 1540 |
ACT range | 22 - 28 | 32 - 34 |
Students submitting SAT score | 43.0% | 31.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 17.0% | 20.0% |
Total number of applicants | 4,551 | 10,884 |
Total number of admissions given out | 3,113 | 2,193 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 512 | 679 |
Yield rate | 16.4% | 31.0% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Not required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price | $61,098 | $81,330 |
Average net price | $26,207 | $27,249 |
Tuition | $42,026 | $61,940 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$7,998
Meal plan:
$3,890
|
$15,710 |
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
100.0%
Average amount $28,670 |
57.0%
Average amount $49,162 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
60.0%
Average amount $5,156 |
46.0%
Average amount $3,729 |
Students taking out private loans |
25.0%
Average amount $6,992 |
4.0%
Average amount $14,435 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
2,404
Men 48.4% Women 51.6% |
2,516
Men 38.4% Women 61.6% |
Graduate students |
324
Men 29.3% Women 70.7% |
N/A |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Moderate
|
Out-of-state students | 26.8% | N/A |
International students | 3.7% | 8.4% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 1,333 | 2,448 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan | N/A |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 13:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 64.4% | 92.5% |
Dropout rate | 35.1% | 5.6% |
Transferred out | N/A | 2.0% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

















































































































































































































































































































