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North Central College
Naperville, IL 2,360 Undergrads 69.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$54,803
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,033
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,123
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$23,033
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$60,123
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate69.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
58.3%
SAT Avg
1,165
SAT Reading
25th: 53557075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 53056075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 232575th: 27
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$518k
+$121k
+$33k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$435k
+$39k
-$49k
Full Cost$55k/yr
+$321k
-$76k
-$164k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
42
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-60%
Full Cost$55k/yr
Never
-83%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-61%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-79%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$21,166
Earnings (5yr)
$79,216
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,342
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,228
Earnings (5yr)
$108,019
Lifetime Value Added
+$321k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$34,084
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,801
Earnings (2yr)
$56,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$83,703
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$372k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,987
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$18,384
Earnings (5yr)
$71,402
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,484
Earnings (5yr)
$62,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$25,205
Earnings (5yr)
$66,258
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,147
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$20,649
Earnings (5yr)
$66,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$28,236
Lifetime Value Added
-$291k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,943
Earnings (5yr)
$50,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,916
Earnings (5yr)
$58,760
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$31,918
Earnings (5yr)
$101,130
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,392
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.