North Central College, United States

United States

Plainfield College, as North Central first was known, opened its doors to 40 men and women soon after the start of the Civil War in 1861. Led by President Augustine A. Smith, a noted abolitionist and coeducation advocate, the College was founded by the Evangelical Association (now the United Methodist Church). 

The institution changed its name to North-Western College in 1864, then to North Central College in 1926. It moved from Plainfield to Naperville in 1870, bolstered by the town’s generous gift of $25,000 and eight acres of land.

Since then, both College and town have flourished. Naperville has grown from a rural community into a bustling city of 144,000 while retaining its friendly, small-town atmosphere; North Central has grown into a beautiful 61.5-acre campus nestled in the town’s Historic District.

Today U.S. News & World Report counts this independent, comprehensive college of the liberal arts and sciences among “America’s Best Colleges,” naming it one of the top six schools in the Midwest for its “strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” Nearly  3,000 students choose from more than 55 undergraduate majors and seven graduate program areas. The College originally discouraged organized athletics as a distraction from weightier matters but now hosts 22 intercollegiate sports in NCAA Division III and the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). North Central holds 30 team national championships and 38 consecutive CCIW men's cross country championships.

The campus buildings reflect both a proud history and an ambitious future. A renovated Old Main, displaying a cornerstone that was laid in 1870, stands tall at the heart of campus. Barbara Pfeiffer Memorial Hall, dedicated in 1926, features a 1,057-seat auditorium that continues to host a stellar lineup of performers and guests. The A.A. Smith House, built in 1885 by the family of the College’s first president, was renovated and donated to the College by Bart and Maricela ’99 Madden in 2008. Mid-century buildings include Oesterle Library, the Harold and Eva White Activities Center and the Kroehler Science Center. Recent construction includes the nationally acclaimed Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center and the innovative, LEED-certified Residence Hall/Recreation Center.

Over the past 150-plus years, only 10 presidents have led the College. This has provided the institution with an exceptionally strong continuity of vision. Today the College honors its past while preparing for an exceptional future.

The 68.5-acre campus, situated in Naperville’s beautiful residential Historic District, offers 11 residence halls, three dining halls and 39 total buildings.

The campus is just 28 miles from Chicago and a 30-minute ride on the Metra train from downtown Chicago and the economic, social and cultural opportunities available in the nation’s third-largest metropolitan area. A daily Amtrak train stops in Naperville. O’Hare International Airport is 27 miles from campus; Midway Airport is 30 miles.

Over 1,500 resident students, 12 residential buildings, one director, two assistant directors, five area hall directors, one graduate assistant, and 51 resident assistants—which guarantees one awesome experience for you!

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