by our College Data Analytics TeamThe majority of students will not be asked to pay the full sticker price of a school. Rather, they are offered a financial aid plan that includes a mix of loans, grants, scholarships, and possibly work-study opportunities. The total price of attendance at North Central College can feel overpowering, but remember that the majority of students receive some sort of financial assistance.
What financing options does North Central offer you, and what will you qualify for? Keep scrolling for more information. Scroll down to see what amount of financial assistance could be accessible to you.
The amount of financial aid and scholarships you are eligible for will vary depending on your family’s income. The figures below will help you estimate the aid you might receive from North Central College.
Financial assistance, available as scholarships, loans, and work-study, is a way schools lower the price of attendance so many students can enroll. Keep in mind that certain forms of assistance are more beneficial than others, and aid amounts differ from student to student.
Looking at the entering class at North Central College, 100% of first-year full-time students received aid of some kind around 516 first-years).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 100% | $34,056 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 100% | $30,039 |
| Federal Pell grants | 27% | $6,044 |
| State/local grants | 28% | $8,387 |
| Federal student loans | 50% | $9,582 |
Grants and scholarships are the most valuable form of aid because, unlike loans, they never have to be repaid. At North Central, approximately 97% of the undergraduate population received grant aid that averaged $30,870 (across approximately 2333 recipients).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 97% | $30,870 |
| Federal Pell grants | 24% | $5,709 |
| Federal student loans | 48% | $9,692 |
For students living on campus and receiving title-IV aid, grants averaged $36,175.
Need-based aid means lower-income families typically pay far less than the sticker price suggests.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $14,887 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $17,697 |
| Over $75,000 | $26,351 |
These figures reflect what title-IV aid recipients pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied.
The net price strips out grant and scholarship aid from the sticker price to show roughly what families really pay.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $21,044 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $23,033 |
For a personalized estimate based on your family’s financial situation, use North Central’s online cost calculator: northcentralcollege.edu/financial-aid/estimate.
A typical borrower at North Central leaves with $18,750 of cumulative federal debt.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $18,750 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $24,500 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $259.74/mo |
That monthly figure reflects the median graduate debt repaid on a standard 10-year federal schedule.
The numbers below show the full range, not just the middle of the distribution. The percentiles below describe the cumulative federal debt distribution for borrowers at North Central.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,334 |
| 25th percentile | $9,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The figures below break down median federal debt by income tier, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,000 |
| Middle income | $19,000 |
| High income | $17,625 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Students
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,500 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
A handful of calculated indicators summarize the debt outlook at North Central.
The Stafford program is the federal direct-loan vehicle most undergraduates use. Below is the annual Stafford program activity at North Central:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 10211 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $177,556,445 |
Military-affiliated students can tap the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
Post-9/11 GI Bill activity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 14 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $480,375 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $34,313 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.