North Central College Jumps Five Places in Latest U.S. News & World Report 'Best Colleges' Rankings

For the 30th year in a row, North Central College has been named among America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report. In the Best Regional Universities Midwest category, North Central improved five places over last year, ranking No. 19 out of 164 institutions. The College also ascended five places to No. 28 in the Best Value Schools category and jumped 13 spots to No. 48 on the list of Top Performers on Social Mobility. Additionally, North Central stood out for its support for student veterans, ranking No. 7 in the Best Colleges for Veterans category, and was recognized for its high performing programs in Undergraduate Engineering and Undergraduate Psychology.

Now in its 40th year, U.S. News rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality, placing an emphasis on social mobility and graduate outcomes.

“Faculty and staff at North Central College are focused on putting students first and ensuring the quality and value of their educational experience,” said North Central College President Abiodun Goke-Pariola. “It’s rewarding to see that focus reflected in our rankings as a Best Value school and as a Top Performer on Social Mobility. In a rapidly changing workforce, we instill in our students with the skills and disposition to tackle unscripted problems that are not in a textbook or that may not even exist yet. By doing this we are preparing them for lifelong success in any field of their choosing.”

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information of the institutions and data on factors such as outcome measures, including graduation rates and post-graduate earnings.

Prospective students can see how North Central College compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated.