North Central College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 77%, North Central College is an accessible private college in Illinois. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what North Central College weighs, where it ranks among Illinois schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1250, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at North Central College?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into North Central College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into North Central College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into North Central College?
North Central College admits most qualified applicants (around 77%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for North Central College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is North Central College hard to get into?
North Central College is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 77% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into North Central College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at North Central College, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. North Central College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at North Central College by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at North Central College for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at North Central College with a 3.1 GPA and a 1180 SAT?
About 94% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1180 SAT, the middle of North Central College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1310 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/north-central-college.
How to get into North Central College
Built from North Central College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into North Central College, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at North Central College carries about a 3.15 core GPA and a 1260 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1055 to 1310 SAT (24 to 29 ACT). Submit a score at 1183 or higher; below 1055, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
North Central College rates rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm North Central College's exact dates at northcentralcollege.edu.
How many students apply to North Central College, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, North Central College received 5,241 applications and admitted 3,056, an acceptance rate of 58.3%. 516 enrolled. Only about 17% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. North Central College enrolls about 2,428 undergraduates in total, 51% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for North Central College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at North Central College scored between 1055 and 1310 on the SAT (average 1213). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 24 to 29. A score above 1310 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1055 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. North Central College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What North Central College looks for
What North Central College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, North Central College leans most on rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from North Central College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at North Central College
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does North Central College cost after financial aid?
North Central College's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $57,219 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $45,726. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,044 a year, and it ranges from $12,507 for families earning under $30,000 to $26,961 for families earning over $110,000. 24% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do North Central College graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median North Central College student who received federal aid earns $60,123 a year, up from $51,762 at six years. 64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $24,500; 48% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How North Central College compares in Illinois
North Central College ranks #25 most selective of 37 schools in Illinois in our database.
Among the 37 Illinois schools we track, North Central College ranks #25 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Chicago (4%) and Northwestern University (8%) sit nearby, which makes Illinois a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to North Central College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around North Central College with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Bradley University, Gardner-Webb University, and Seattle University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is North Central College's acceptance rate?
North Central College admitted 3,056 of 5,241 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 58.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 17% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for North Central College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1055 to 1310 on the SAT and 24 to 29 on the ACT. A score above 1310 is in the top quarter of admits. North Central College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is North Central College test-optional?
Yes. North Central College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does North Central College cost after financial aid?
The average net price at North Central College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $21,044 a year against a sticker price of about $57,219. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,507 on average.
What do North Central College graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering North Central College are $60,123 a year among students who received federal aid, and 64% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does North Central College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, North Central College weighs rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does North Central College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. North Central College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at North Central College?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at North Central College specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.