North Central vs Occidental College

North Central College and Occidental College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, nestled in the vibrant city of Naperville, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Occidental, located in the heart of Los Angeles, California, attracts a diverse student body, with a significant proportion of international students enriching the campus culture. While both colleges excel in liberal arts education, North Central is renowned for its strong business and nursing programs, while Occidental shines in the fields of social sciences and humanities. Discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences by exploring the comprehensive comparison table provided.

	North Central College	Occidental College
Overview
Location	Naperville, Illinois	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.4%	38.2%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1030 - 1230	1340 - 1490
ACT range	22 - 28	30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	4,551	6,495
Total number of admissions given out	3,113	2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll	512	535
Yield rate	16.4%	21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$61,098	$77,878
Average net price	$26,207	$43,047
Tuition	$42,026	$57,830
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,998 Meal plan: $3,890	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $28,670	100.0% Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,156	31.0% Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans	25.0% Average amount $6,992	17.0% Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,404 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students	324 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	26.8%	62.5%
International students	3.7%	6.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,333	1,650
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.4%	82.9%
Dropout rate	35.1%	4.1%
Transferred out	N/A	12.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A

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North Central vs Occidental College

North Central College

Occidental College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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