Study abroad at Naperville

Naperville is an affluent, highly educated, and exceptionally safe suburban metropolis in DuPage and Will Counties in northeastern Illinois, consistently voted among the 'Best Places to Live in the United States' by Money Magazine and Niche. Situated along the scenic DuPage River Riverwalk, located just 30 miles (30 minutes by direct express Metra BNSF commuter train) west of Downtown Chicago and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Celebrated for the Naperville Riverwalk (the 'Crown Jewel' of Naperville), Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon, upscale Downtown shopping and dining, and its anchor position in the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor (home to major tech, healthcare, and engineering corporate research hubs including Nokia Bell Labs, BP America, Nalco Water, and Edward Hospital). Naperville is the historic campus home of North Central College (NCC - founded in 1861, premier private comprehensive college ranked in the US Top 20 Midwest Regional Universities by US News & World Report with nearly 3,000 students on a beautiful 68-acre historic residential campus in the heart of Downtown Naperville, crowned by the limestone Old Main landmark). North Central College is acclaimed for the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (Bloomberg Finance Lab, Marketing, Accounting), School of Education and Health Sciences (Physician Assistant PA, Physical Therapy DPT, Occupational Therapy MOT, Nursing), College of Arts and Sciences (Computer Science, Neuroscience, Actuarial Science, Mechanical & Computer Engineering), and Wentz Concert Hall & Fine Arts Center, alongside regional centers of Northern Illinois University (NIU Naperville) and DePaul University. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from small class sizes (12:1 student-faculty ratio), immediate access to the Fortune 500 Chicago job market, generous North Central International Academic Merit Scholarships ($20,000 to $32,000/year), and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Naperville for international undergraduate students at North Central College (NCC) range between $43,500 and $45,800 per academic year for Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Actuarial Science, and Health Sciences (with North Central College awarding very generous automatic International Academic Merit Scholarships discounting $20,000 to $32,000/year from tuition for qualified applicants with a GPA of 3.0+, bringing net tuition down to an extraordinarily accessible $13,500–$23,500/year). Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $16,000 to $26,000 per year. Modern on-campus university student residences (NCC Schneller Hall, Ward Hall, Patterson Hall, New Hall - fully furnished student suites with high-speed Wi-Fi, utilities, and dining halls) cost between $750 and $1,250 per month (inclusive of meal plans), while off-campus student apartments in Downtown Naperville, Washington Street, and Ogden Avenue range from $650 to $1,150 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $800 and $1,350.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards approx. $26,000), the Center for Global Education (NCC CGE) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).