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North Park University

N/A(0)
VerifiedPrivate (Not for Profit)Estd. 1891
Founded
1891
Type
Private (Not for Profit)
University Guide

About North Park University

Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.

Founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church, the North Park University commonly called NPU, is Chicago’s city-centered private, non-profit Christian university that is located at West Foster Avenue Chicago, Illinois in the United States.

In as much the university is much rooted in the Christian faith, it has the mandate of providing quality education and a rigorous and interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences education in a world-class city and in a diverse faith community to everybody through quality community engagement and value-based teachings, thus, it enrolls 3,200 students from around the world and various religions and it is reported to have an average of 2.8% Muslims and 41.5% nonreligious students in its student body. 

Within this unique community, it offers a value-based education to students. North Park University offers programs through more than 40 undergraduate majors, as well as graduate and continuing education in business, nonprofit management, nursing, education, music, and theology. The university incorporates a seminary and it is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and as well as many other accreditation bodies for individual programs as well, in areas of nursing, music, education, health sciences.

Ranking

  • Ranked 61th in the list of regional universities Midwest in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.
  • Ranked 23th in the list of Best Undergraduate Teaching by U.S News and World Report.
  • Ranked 401th-500th by Times Higher Education in the list of U.S. rankings 2023.
  • Ranked 743th out of 1,692 in the list of Best Liberal Colleges in the United States by Niche. 
  • Ranked 11th out of 24 in the list of Best School for Nursing in Illinois.

North Park University Campus

North Park University Campus

The school operates with a 30-acre main campus and three other satellite campuses namely; University Center of Lake County – Waukegan, University Center of Lake County -Grayslake and the Forest View Educational Center.

The main campus has 30 academic, residential, administrative and athletic buildings. The main campus incorporates a state-of-the-art recreation center, an expansive library of a quarter million books, and a new center for science and community life.

There is a small student-faculty ratio of 12:1 with an encouraging average class size of 17. Moreover, the student body is very diverse with no particular race being up to 50% of the student body, as well as a diverse religious background with a student body religious statistic showing:

  • Evangelical covenant church: 7.3%
  •  Other protestant denominations: 24.8%
  •  Catholic: 19.6%
  •  Orthodox: 3.2%
  •  Muslim: 2.8%
  •  Jewish: 0.8%
  •  Other or no faith traditions reported: 41.5%

There are 28 students’ associations open to all students, overseen by the Student Government Association of NPU and these student associations are academic and education clubs, club sports, cultural clubs, social clubs, and the Media and Periodical Publications association. On-campus, NPU has 294 dorm rooms for student housing. There are also 162 Chicago-styled apartments available on on-campus housing. Community members served by student volunteers annually are up to 13,970. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 63 students participated in the Catalyst Semester program

Residence Facilities at North Park University 

Campus housings in NPU are made up of residence halls, apartments, and houses. There are three main residence halls such as Anderson hall, Burgh hall and Ohlson house as well as other related housing such as the Park North apartment and Sawyer Court apartment. After two years in the residence halls, it is observed that many students tend to live in one of the 90-plus university-owned apartments and houses in the school's neighborhood.

More so, all freshman students with zero to 29 credits, sophomore students with 30 to 59 credits, and third-year or junior students with 60 to 89 credits are required to live in campus housings, with few exceptions.

Residence halls like the Anderson Hall have features such as two beds (XL Twin size), two desks with chairs and two closets with dressers, a hanging rod, and overhead storage.

Some of the general features of residence halls include:

  • They are mainly for first and second-year students
  • Most of them offer single, double or triple rooms with options for co-ed living on some floors.
  • Resident Assistants are living on each floor
  • Front desk staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week
  • General bike storage room for students
  • Vending machines
  • Strategically located community kitchen
  • Laundry on each floor
  • Common lounge or rooms with a big-screen TV, cable, and DVD player
  • Study rooms are fashioned with shared computers, printers, and study tables

There are campus amenities such as a full-service dining hall, a grab-and-go shop in Viking Café, and Einstein Bros Bagels in the Bickner Bistro, campus wireless network, satellite TV, computer lounge and the North Park’s IT department that is available to help students out on any technical issue.

There are common areas available in almost every residence halls and apartments. Prices for on-campus residence include:

Housing Cost
Residence hall double or triple occupancy 5,010 USD per annum
Residence hall regular single occupancy 7,510 USD per annum
Residence hall small single occupancy (limited) 6,260 USD per annum
Apartments and bungalows, including Park North 5,670 USD per annum
Sawyer Court condos 6,030 USD per annum

A Housing deposit of 250 USD is to be paid for immediately after admission has been offered and the tuition deposit has been paid. There are off-campus housings available around North Park University in Chicago for exempted and qualified students outside the school. Houses and apartments for rents are valued at about 900 USD to 4,000 USD per annum.

Programs offered at North Park University

There are program types such as certificate, concentration, concentration/degree, major/degree, a minor and pre-professional program in degrees of study such as bachelor's degree completion, doctoral, graduate and graduate/undergraduate offered at NPU.

More than 40 undergraduate majors and programs including pre-professional options like law, medicine, and art therapy are offered at North Park University. 

The university imparts its education through its nine schools or faculties in NPU, namely; School of Business & Nonprofit Management, School of Education, Division of Health Sciences, Division of Humanities & Social Sciences, School of Music, Art & Theatre, School of Nursing, School of Professional Studies, Division of Sciences and the Theological Seminary.

NPU offers an MBA program under the School of Business and Nonprofit Management. At NPU, there are three doctoral programs, eight bachelor's degree completion programs, and four graduate/undergraduate programs

The school offers up to 59 graduate courses ranging from the bilingual endorsement, master of arts in theological studies, divinity, music, urban ministry to youth ministry certificate. It has up to 87 undergraduate programs ranging from accounting, athletic training, engineering, finance, music, Spanish to youth ministry.

The most popular majors in the school include nursing, business/economics, biology, and exercise science.

North Park University Application Process

International students who want to seek admissions at North Park University can follow the below-mentioned admission details:

Application portal: For international undergraduate and graduate applicants, the application is done through Online Application or by Common application.

Application Fee: There is no application fee for international undergraduate and graduate applicants.

Basic Admission Requirements:

  • Official Transcripts
  • Academic Recommendation
  • Scores of Standardized Exams to study in the USA
  • English Proficiency test scores
  • Essay
  • Copy of applicant’s passport identification page
  • Valid bank statement showing a minimum of 6 months of deposits
  • Financial affidavit of support

English Proficiency Requirements

International students need to submit proof of English Proficiency to be able to seek admissions at North Park University. The required minimum score for the tests are mentioned below:

Level or Program TOEFL(iBT) IELTS
Bachelor 68 and above 6.0
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) and Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) 80 6.5
General Master's programs 90 6.5
Doctoral programs 100 7.0

Cost of Attendance

Below is the annual estimated cost of attendance for international students at North Park University.

Expense Amount (USD) per annum
Tuition 31,430 USD
Room (shared) and board (15 meals per week) 9,810 USD
Technology fee 250 USD
Books 1,000 USD
Personal expenses 2,100 USD
CTA U-Pass 300 USD
An international student services fee 1,000 USD
International student health insurance fee 1,300 USD
Total 47,190 USD

At NPU, the total cost of attendance varies between schools, and even among students at the same school. Therefore, the cost of attendance is determined by tuition and fees by school and program, housing cost, books and supplies, transportation, services fees, and other personal expenses.

For graduate and degree-completion program students, the cost of attendance also includes books and course materials, transportation, and housing.

Scholarships and Financial Aid 

North Park University offers several scholarships for international students to afford their studies in the USA

Some of the scholarship available to international undergraduate students are:

  • Virginia E. Hahn Memorial Scholarship: Valued at 5,000 USD per year, this endowed scholarship is for first-year students who intend to teach history at the secondary or tertiary level.
  • Art Scholarship: Valued at up to 1,000 USD annually, it is designated for visual artists and it is renewable for four years. It is available to art majors and non-majors.
  • Music Scholarships: Talented music students can perform at the college level to earn a call up to audition for music scholarships. Amounts range from 1,500 USD up to 8,000 USD and renewable for up to four years.

Some of the scholarships available for international graduates are:

  • Jimmie Alford Scholarship: With varying amounts, this is for graduate students pursuing a degree or certificate in nonprofit management and have demonstrated academic excellence.
  • Presidential Scholarship: This scholarship provides a 30% tuition discount to students with a cumulative BSN grade point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale, and/or a GMAT score of 660 or above or a GRE score of 316 or above.
  • It is renewable throughout the student's graduate program as long as such a student maintains a GPA of 3.00 at North Park University.
  • Mark Farano Memorial Scholarship: With varying amounts and no application required, this scholarship is awarded to an MBA student who demonstrates strong academic performance and leadership capability.

North Park University Alumni Network

Through the alumni relations office, the Career Development and Internships Office continues to provide resources to alumni at no cost through the lifetime of their careers. Alumni of NPU has unique access to the Brandel Library by being eligible for library cards allowing them to check out materials from the library.

North Park University organizes a program called the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD). This program creates opportunities for young alumni to stay connected with one another, provides access to services for professional advancement, and hosts social and networking events throughout each year.

Notable NPU alumni include:

  • Timothy Johnson -American Physician
  • Kathryn Edin -Sociologist and Professor
  • Carl Hawkinson -Legislator
  • James R. Thompson -Former Governor of Illinois
  • Kevin Leman -American psychologist

Placements at North Park University 

At NPU, the Career Development and Internships Office (CDIO) is an integral part of the North Park student experience that provides professional assessment, resume development, local and national internship opportunities, career counseling, and industry-specific job fairs.

The school ensures that senior staff members also provide coaching and career-mapping tools for graduate students and alumni as well.

The CDIO has also developed the Career Advantage program which provides more than 150 hours of professional development experiences for students. These experiences include opportunities to establish unique personal brands, gain valuable skills, and develop professional networks in their areas of study.

According to PayScale, the average salary for NPU graduates is 63,000 USD per annum.

Courses & Fees

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Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 33.8 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 36,070 /Yr
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page
Admission Guide

Admission Process

North Park University, Chicago, Illinois is a private Christian university founded in 1891 by the Church of the Evangelical Covenant. The University offers around 100 undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs to students. Some of the most popular disciplines include Nursing, Business, Economics, Biology and Exercise Science.

In fall 2023, North Park received 4,435 applications of which only 48% were accepted setting a competitive acceptance rate. The University recorded a total enrollment of 2,927 students including 4% international students representing 42 countries.

The following points must be kept in mind while applying to North Park University:

  • Fresh applications are accepted for the fall and spring semesters.
  • Applications remain open throughout the year and can be completed free of cost.
  • North Park begins accepting applications from September 1 for the following fall semester.
  • Application deadlines for international students are set quite in advance as compared to domestic applicants due to the length of visa procedure.
  • The University does not offer an English as second language (ESL) program. Therefore, international students must meet English language proficiency requirements for admission.
  • Emailed copies of transcripts will not be accepted.
  • 88% of the graduates were placed in a job related to their area of study upon graduation.

COVID-19 Admission Updates

  • Prospective applicants for Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 will not have to submit test scores for admission. Students who have already taken the test may submit the scores to help the University reach a decision. Submitting test scores will not have any negative impact on the chances of admission.

Highlights

Application Portal Online Application
Application Fee No application fee
Mode of Payment Credit card/ Check
Acceptance Rate 48%
Average SAT score 990
Average ACT score 19
Academic Calendar Semester-based
Intake Seasons Fall/ Spring
Work Experience Not required
Financial Aid Scholarships/ loans/ grants

North Park University Admission Deadlines

North Park University accepts admission applications all year round without any application fee. The recommended application deadlines for fall and spring semesters are as follows:

Student Type Deadline
Fall Semester
First-year Students April 1
International Students June 1
Transfer, second bachelor’s degree and non-degree seeking students July 1
Re-admission August 1
Spring Semester
Domestic Applicants December 15
International Applicants October 1

North Park University International Student Admissions

For getting admission at North Park University, international applicants must follow a set of guidelines and fulfill requirements as stated by the University. Admission to the University requires international students to demonstrate the probability of academic success, ability to pay for tuition fees and accommodation and adequate English language proficiency.

Application Portal: Online Application/ Common Application

Application Fee: No application fee

Admission Requirements: International students must complete and submit an application form and submit the following:

  • Official high school transcripts which must be submitted by a high school principal, administrator, counselor or teacher.
  • Academic recommendations by current or previous teachers.
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Essay
  • SAT and ACT scores (optional)
  • Copy of identification page of passport
  • Bank statement
  • Financial affidavit of support

English Language Proficiency Requirements

International students applying for all North Park University programs must submit evidence of English language proficiency in the form of official test results, such as TOEFL or IELTS, as part of their admissions process. The candidates must, however, monitor the course wise requirements of the various departments.

Test Minimum Requirements (Undergraduate) Minimum Requirements (Graduate) Minimum Requirements (General Master’s Level Program)
IELTS 6.0 6.5 7.0
TOEFL IBT 80 80 90
Cambridge English Assessment B2 - -

Visa Process for International Students

International students studying in the U.S. will require visa sponsorship. Students will require a Form I-20 in order to apply for the F-1 student visa. Before North Park University can sponsor Form I-20, students must be admitted to the university and have submitted the following documents:

  • Copy of passport identification page
  • Bank statement (bank statements must show a minimum of 6 months of deposits and be in the name of the individual taking responsibility for your payments)
  • Affidavit of financial support

To apply for a F-1 or J-1 student visa, applicants must follow the steps given below:

  • Contact the local U.S. Consulate or Embassy
  • Complete visa application Form DS-160 online and print a copy of the receipt to take to your visa interview.
  • Schedule an in-person interview at your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
  • Prepare and bring to the visa interview the following documents:
    • A passport valid for at least 6 months after your intended period of stay
    • Form I-20 or Form DS-2019
    • Acceptance letter from North Park University
    • Completed visa application form DS-160
    • A receipt for the visa application fee
    • A receipt for the SEVIS fee (I-901 fee)
    • One 2” x 2” photograph in the prescribed format
    • Evidence showing you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses for a full academic year.
    • Any information indicating why you have chosen to study at North Park University.
    • Any information proving your intent to return home after finishing your studies such as property ownership, job responsibilities, family ties, etc.

North Park University Undergraduate Admissions

North Park University offers 80 undergraduate majors and pre-professional programs to students in subject areas such as law, medicine, art therapy, accounting, business, economics, engineering, health sciences etc. The University has traditional academic standards and all undergraduates are expected to meet them for admission.

Where to Apply: North Park University's Application or Common Application

Application Fee: No application fee

Admission Requirements: All first year applicants must submit the following documents along with the application:

  • Complete the online application
  • Official high school transcripts
  • Records of high school attendance
  • Personal essay (stating the reason for choosing NPU and why you would be a good fit?)
  • Records of activities and extracurricular involvement that can reflect leadership skills, personal characteristics, etc.
  • Recommendations from teachers, community leaders or pastors, etc. attesting to your academic abilities within the classroom.
  • SAT or ACT tests not required for admission in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.

The traditional academic standards for admission are as follows:

  • Cumulative high school GPA of 2.75
  • ACT composite score of 19
  • SAT composite score of 990

North Park University Graduate Admissions

North Park University offers 19 graduate degree programs through various academic departments such as Business and Nonprofit Management, Education, Nursing, Health Sciences, Music/Arts/Theatre, and Professional Studies. For admission to graduate programs, applicants must submit proof of successful completion of a 4-year bachelor's degree or equivalent. Departmental requirements must also be fulfilled along with general admission requirements.

Where to Apply: Online Application

Application Fee: No application fee

Admission Requirements: Graduate program applicants must submit the following documents along with the application:

  • Official transcripts with a course-by-course evaluation report completed by World Evaluation Services or Educational Credential Evaluators.
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Electronic copy of resume
  • Short essay
  • Professional/ academic recommendations
  • Bank statement and North Park Financial Resources Statement
  • Copy of passport
  • If available, visa and current I-20

Transcripts must be sent to:

North Park University Admissions
3225 W Foster Ave., Box 19
Chicago, IL 60625

Given below are the details of department-wise admission requirements for aspiring international graduate applicants:

Requirements School of Business and Non-profit Management School of Education School of Music, Art and Theatre School of Professional Studies (MA in Clinical Mental Health Counselling)
Majors Master of Business Administration (MBA) Master of Organizational Leadership (MOL) Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) Master of Higher Education Administration (MHEA) Master of Arts in Education Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Master of Arts in Literacy, Language, and Culture Master of Arts in Teaching Master of Music in Collaborative Piano Master of Music in Vocal Performance Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC)
Transcripts Required Required Required Required
Recommendations Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional) Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional) Three letters of recommendation (academic or professional) Three letters of recommendation (academic or professional)
Essay Three brief essays Three brief essays Not required Required
Resume/ CV Required Required Required Required
Interview Not required Not required Not required Required (in-person/ virtual interview with program director)
Additional Departmental Requirements None None Auditions through electronic footage via Youtube or other online video services None

After submitting the application, all applicants will receive an email on the address mentioned in the application form to confirm that the application was submitted successfully. Once all supplementary materials have been received, the admissions committee will review credentials and make an admission decision. Students can expect an admission decision within two weeks from submission of all the application materials. Due to the selective nature of admissions at North Park University, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Since the University accepts applications throughout the year, it is highly recommended to apply as early as possible.

Placements & Recruiters

North Park University Placement Details

North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

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Contact Information

3225 West Foster Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

+1-773-2446200

+1-800-8886728