Calvin University vs North Central

Calvin University and North Central College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Calvin, a private Christian university, boasts a lower acceptance rate (69%) compared to North Central's 80%. Calvin's student body is predominantly White (73%) and female (56%), while North Central's student body is more diverse, with a larger male population (53%) and a higher percentage of international students (10%). Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including Business, Education, and Nursing, but Calvin is known for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, while North Central excels in business and healthcare programs. With a higher graduation rate (80%) and a lower average net price ($26,000), Calvin may provide a more affordable and successful academic journey. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Calvin University	North Central College
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Naperville, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	68.4%
Application fees	$35	$25
SAT range	1120 - 1340	1030 - 1230
ACT range	24 - 30	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	4,551
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	3,113
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	512
Yield rate	24.6%	16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,840	$61,098
Average net price	$27,120	$26,207
Tuition	$37,990	$42,026
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $7,998 Meal plan: $3,890
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	100.0% Average amount $28,670
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	60.0% Average amount $5,156
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	25.0% Average amount $6,992

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	2,404 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	324 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	26.8%
International students	11.7%	3.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,453	1,333
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	64.4%
Dropout rate	7.6%	35.1%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,561 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $74,669 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,155 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $71,061 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,815 Year 2: $58,921 Year 3: $66,245 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,117 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $64,795 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,621 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $51,292 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,923 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $50,109 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,795 Year 2: $43,000 Year 3: $49,516 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,391 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,721 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,154 Year 2: $45,584 Year 3: $46,743 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,411 Year 2: $40,441 Year 3: $44,647

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