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North Central College
Naperville, IL 2,428 Undergrads 69.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$57,219
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,044
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,656
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$21,044
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$61,656
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate69.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients24.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
77.3%
SAT Avg
1,213
SAT Reading
25th: 53057075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 52556075th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 242575th: 29
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
+$549k
+$82k
+$65k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$473k
+$6k
-$11k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$343k
-$124k
-$141k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-15%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-69%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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-36%
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-73%
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 (4yr)
$78,125
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,500
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,342
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,992
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,228
Earnings (4yr)
$79,877
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,192
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,605
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1603
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,424
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,801
Earnings (4yr)
$80,494
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,750
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,562
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,455
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$365k
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Graphic Communications
BachCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$241k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$18,384
Earnings (4yr)
$71,555
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$105,350
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$324k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,484
Earnings (4yr)
$71,123
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,744
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$23,655
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$25,205
Earnings (5yr)
$66,258
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,062
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$20,649
Earnings (4yr)
$60,573
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,838
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Religion/Religious Studies
BachCIP: 3802
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,018
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,943
Earnings (4yr)
$56,281
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,018
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,916
Earnings (4yr)
$49,224
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,247
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$31,918
Earnings (4yr)
$102,600
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,044
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,846
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), 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 for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.