North Central College
Naperville, Illinois
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
13% gap between the two groups
12% gap between the two groups
5% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $12,507 |
| $30k–$48k | $13,486 |
| $48k–$75k | $16,362 |
| $75k–$110k | $20,590 |
| $110k+ | $26,961 |
How North Central College compares
This college against the Illinois and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of North Central College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at North Central College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Associate's | $108,019 | $26,228 | +1,120% | Strong return |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Associate's | $83,703 | $27,000 | +645% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $79,216 | $21,166 | +587% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Certificate | $101,130 | $31,918 | +486% | Strong return |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Associate's | $71,402 | $18,384 | +441% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $68,342 | $27,000 | +350% | Strong return |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Associate's | $66,959 | $20,649 | +343% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $66,258 | $25,205 | +315% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $65,055 | $21,500 | +302% | Strong return |
| Marketing | Associate's | $62,422 | $20,484 | +252% | Strong return |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's | $58,760 | $26,916 | +165% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $61,392 | — | +95% | Strong return |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's | $54,631 | $22,000 | +92% | Strong return |
| Psychology, General | Associate's | $53,147 | $25,000 | +59% | Break-even |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Associate's | $50,987 | $25,000 | +17% | Break-even |
| Sociology | Associate's | $50,634 | $26,943 | +9% | Break-even |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Associate's | $34,084 | $19,500 | -322% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at North Central College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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