Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 56/100

North Central University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Minneapolis, Minnesota

About North Central University

Thinking about North Central University, a college in Minnesota where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

North Central University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It enrolls 709 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
99%
Graduation
46.7%
Net Price
$25,817
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,064
Enrollment
709
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 66
Value 11
Affordability 50
Selectivity 2

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

North Central University admits 99% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
99%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether North Central University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 0.9 pts since 2019
89.9%201993%202094%202190.8%202290.8%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $25,817 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$25,817
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
43%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
59%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$32,220
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,054
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,800
Books & Supplies
$900
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,536
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,910
Total Cost of Attendance
$44,475

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $20,450
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $22,393
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $23,892
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $28,167
  • Over $110,000
    $30,213

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$4,765
10% percentile
$8,750
25% percentile
$23,200
Median percentile
$27,412
75% percentile
$35,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,000 ↓ $4,200
No Pell $13,061 ↓ $10,139
Dependent students $17,125 ↓ $6,075
Independent students $14,250 ↓ $8,950
Female students $17,313 ↓ $5,887
Male students $16,124 ↓ $7,076
Pell recipients: 19.6% (4,550 students)No Pell: 13.5% (3,128 students)Dependent students: 17.7% (4,101 students)Independent students: 14.7% (3,413 students)Female students: 17.9% (4,146 students)Male students: 16.6% (3,862 students)Overall Median$23,200
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($23,200), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

47% of students who start here finish within six years, and 80% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
47%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
80%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,064 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,064
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$37,000$39,000$41,000$44,000$46,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$30,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$41,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$41,800

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$32,400

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$35,700

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,400, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 5.1 pts across 6 years
80%1yr83.3%3yr85.7%5yr85.1%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 85% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 709 students, a small, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
709
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
22%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 61.1% 433
Hispanic 15.1% 107
Black 12.6% 89
Other 4.7% 33
Asian 3.1% 22
International 1.3% 9
White: 61.1% (433 students)Hispanic: 15.1% (107 students)Black: 12.6% (89 students)Other: 4.7% (33 students)Asian: 3.1% (22 students)International: 1.3% (9 students)Total709

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at North Central University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Minneapolis, Minnesota
Housing
Strongly residential 898 beds for 709 students
Adult Learners
10% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Theology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

North Central University offers a varied set of programs: 29 distinct programs across 14 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

6 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$37M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,698
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

34 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 5 15% $67,094
Associate Professors 17 50% $71,701
Assistant Professors 11 32% $54,712
Instructors 1 3% $77,500

Pros & Cons of North Central University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where North Central University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
Best for: Based on the data, North Central University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about North Central University

The questions families ask most about North Central University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is North Central University hard to get into?
Not especially. North Central University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 99%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at North Central University?
99% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does North Central University cost?
Budget around $25,817 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is North Central University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,064 a year against a net price of $25,817, about 1.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is North Central University known for?
Mostly Pastoral Counseling, Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do North Central University graduates earn?
About $45,064 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is North Central University accredited?
Yes. North Central University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend North Central University?
709 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at North Central University?
47% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is North Central University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is North Central University located?
North Central University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What programs does North Central University offer?
29 different programs, most commonly Pastoral Counseling, Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at North Central University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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