North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School’s global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we’ve learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university’s mission and alumni needs.
Amidst a year of record undergraduate enrollment, North Park University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top Regional University and one of the best schools for Social Mobility and Undergraduate Teaching.
A record 476 first-year students enrolled for the fall 2022 semester despite challenges including the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in the number of high school graduates choosing to attend college.
“This incoming class [of 476 students] means that we have put together back-to-back classes at this level, with record numbers of first-time, first-year students,” said North Park President Mary K. Surridge. “In the current higher education landscape and recruiting space, this is a significant achievement and indicates several encouraging things.”
“North Park is a compelling university of choice for prospective students, and our recruitment staff has done a great job of identifying and cultivating new students,” President Surridge said. “Students have choices, and they are choosing North Park.”
This is the second year in a row that North Park’s incoming class has broken enrollment records, with the school welcoming 464 first-year students in 2021. This year’s class includes students from 30 countries and 30 states, with the majority coming from Illinois.
In the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings, North Park was ranked #39 for best Regional Universities in the Midwest (a position it has held since 2020); #15 for Top Performers on Social Mobility; and #20 for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
The social mobility ranking means North Park excels at helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds enroll and finish college.
In its latest annual ranking, U.S. News and World Report took into account 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also considers student satisfaction, attending costs, and campus life in determining its rankings.
North Park University’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) will partner with the College of DuPage (COD) in Glen Ellyn in a program that guarantees COD transfer students admission to North Park.
Even before students transfer to North Park, the two schools will collaborate to seamlessly guide students from their associate degree at COD to completing their bachelor’s degrees at North Park.
“This agreement formalizes and elevates an excellent new partnership that gives students of the College of DuPage an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degrees at North Park University, in the world-class city of Chicago,” said North Park President Mary K. Surridge. “We are delighted to provide this life-changing opportunity for so many students.”
SPS Dean Lori Scrementi said the two schools “hope to create a community of learning for all, not only with fellow students but with faculty and staff, to build a strong, supportive network before, during, and after their time at North Park University.”
Scrementi said that with its integration of Christian, intercultural, and city-centered values, SPS gives students tools for lifelong learning and a strong sense of community-focused decision-making. Faculty and staff bring the wisdom gained from their professions and vocations into their positions at North Park.
COD’s provost, Mark Curtis-Chávez, said the institutional partnership between the schools “reflects our mutual and intentional level of commitment to providing students a clear pathway towards a timely degree in a growing number of academic programs.”
He added: “We look forward to continued collaboration with North Park as we develop new ways to best support students.”
Founded in 1967, the College of DuPage is a community college serving students in Chicago’s western suburbs. Firmly rooted in its community, it is also committed to reflecting the needs and demands of an ever-changing world.
North Park University has received a $35,000 grant from the federal government’s Increase and Diversify Education for U.S. Students (IDEAS) initiative, which will be used to fund virtual and in-person study abroad opportunities for underserved students.
North Park University has received a $35,000 grant from the federal government’s Increase and Diversify Education for U.S. Students (IDEAS) initiative, which will be used to fund virtual and in-person study abroad opportunities for underserved students.
As part of the grant, North Park faculty and staff will partner with Nepal-based The Green Program (TGP) to develop custom study-abroad programs that tie climate, energy, and environmental-related subject matter to relevant topics in their disciplines.
“I’m excited by the opportunities afforded by the IDEAS grant and what we’ll be able to achieve through partnership with TGP,” said Tessa Zanoni, North Park’s Director of the Office of International Affairs.
“As a small university with limited study abroad funding and staffing, this grant will make it possible for us to increase resources and programs for our faculty and students,” Zanoni said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to achieve our ultimate goal of expanding access to study abroad programs for all North Park students.”
As a recently designated Hispanic Serving Institution and majority commuter campus, North Park is actively working to expand study abroad opportunities for underrepresented students. The long-term goal of North Park’s partnership with TGP is to increase student participation in study abroad programs, as well as increasing student understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The IDEAS Grants are administered by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This year, ECA awarded the grant to 44 US colleges and universities to create, expand, and diversify their study abroad programs.
The Green Program provides hands-on courses on topics such as renewable energy innovation and sustainability. Students who participate in the 8–10-day programs receive a Smart Certificate. This year’s course takes place in Iceland in cooperation with Reykjavik University.
North Park University is launching a new graduate degree program for students and career changers—a Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. The program will prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to provide safe, competent, and compassionate care to patients.
“This new program is a perfect example of North Park University’s ability to capitalize on our historic strength in nursing and health sciences education,” said North Park University President Mary K. Surridge. “We are building new capacity to educate and equip more and more highly skilled and ethical professionals to positively impact the city of Chicago and beyond.”
Students in the five-semester program will complete clinical rotations that align with their coursework and prepare them to enter the field with skill and confidence. All clinical rotations are held in hospitals and community sites recognized for nursing excellence, including Swedish Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Lawndale Community Health Center, and others.
After completing the degree requirements through North Park’sDirect Entry Master of Science in Nursing program graduates will be qualified to apply for the professional nurse licensing examination, the NCLEX-RN. Graduates who pass this exam become licensed registered nurses (RNs) and are eligible to work in a healthcare setting. Graduates will also have the academic foundation necessary to pursue further education in the field, such as a post-master’s certification in an advanced practice specialty, nursing leadership, and management, or earning your Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
North Park Provost Michael Carr said graduates of this program “will have learned to Integrate core scientific and ethical principles, advanced nursing knowledge, professional values, and clinical excellence in a nursing practice that reflects the Christian principles of the philosophy of the North Park University School of Nursing.”
The Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing at North Park University is designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in another academic major. Students can apply to the program through NursingCAS, the centralized application for nursing programs. Application fee waivers are available for those who qualify.
Looking to work alongside an already booming gaming industry located in Chicago, North Park University (North Park) is excited to add Esports as the institution’s first coed and 19th overall sport. Recruiting for incoming student-athletes will begin immediately, with competition to start fall of 2023.
“We are excited to add Esports to the athletic department,” said John Born, North Park Assistant Vice President, Director of Athletics. “It is a great opportunity to meet current demand and add to the diversity of the institution. The combination of an emerging sport and the resources of Chicago is a definite win-win scenario.”
Esports, a form of competitive, organized video gaming, is most often used in a “multiplayer” setting. As a fan-friendly sport when it comes to viewership and streaming, Esports is expected to net 29.6 million monthly viewers this year, up 11.5% from 2021, according to estimates done by Insider Intelligence.
Chicago has been a hotspot for Esports for many years, and North Park is well-situated with its Chicago campus to be in the epicenter of this growing sport. The League Championship Series for high-level League of Legends players will take place at the United Center September 10–11. Additionally, Chicago’s City Council approved a $30 million dollar arena, “Surge” Esports Stadium, to be built in Bronzeville. Investments like these will provide North Park students ample opportunity to expand their abilities and pursue longer-term career options in the field.
Though exploding in popularity, including the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has not officially sponsored Esports for intercollegiate competition. However, North Park will join the National Association of College Esports, the largest member association of college and university-sponsored Esports programs that promote student education and development through intercollegiate Esports.
“Meeting students where they are at is what we aim to do at North Park, and offering Esports as an official varsity program is no exception. As a university, we are fortunate to have the resources to have this dream come to fruition. This is a great day for North Park.”
For questions about the program, contact Peter Casella, Director of Esports.
Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Press, Stories
