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.
North Park University has secured the 20th position in three significant categories in Intelligent.com’s 2024 rankings.
North Park University has secured the 20th position in three significant categories in Intelligent.com‘s 2024 rankings. The site is an editorially independent source of unbiased research that aids students in their higher education decisions.
North Park University earned notable recognition in the following categories:
These achievements affirm North Park University’s dedication to providing students with outstanding educational opportunities and preparing them for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.
The Associate Colleges of Illinois (ACI) has given North Park University’s Division of Student Engagement $9,300 to support peer mentoring.
ACI awarded $9,300 to the Division of Student Engagement as part of ACI’s Peer Mentoring Program, COMPASS. COMPASS is an intensive, yearlong peer mentoring program that helps first-year students prepare for the academic and social challenges of college and adjust to life on campus. Funding from ACI supports scholarships for trained peer mentors recruited from sophomores, juniors, and seniors who previously participated in COMPASS.
Leslie Castillo, director of first year experience, oversees the program. North Park has been part of ACI’s Peer Mentoring Program since 2015. ACI supports member colleges and universities by advancing independent liberal arts and sciences education and helping underserved students succeed in college, career and life.
Daniel Warren Johnson is spearheading the official Transformers comic book’s relaunch as both writer and artist.
Albany Park resident Daniel Warren Johnson BA ’09, Cert ’11, has been making significant strides in the world of comics. After earning the Best Publication for Teens Eisner Award earlier this year, he is now spearheading the official Transformers comic book’s relaunch as both writer and artist.
For Johnson, this Transformers project is both a dream and a challenge. He has to find ways to make the blocky Transformers appear dynamic, with his collection of toys serving as inspiration.
Johnson has contributed to major publishers like Marvel Comics and DC Comics, but his independent works, such as Murder Falcon and Do a Powerbomb, truly highlight his creative prowess. Read more about Johnson and his work at Block Club Chicago.
NursingProcess.org has included several of North Park’s nursing programs in its rankings of the top programs in Chicago and Illinois.
The nonprofit website NursingProcess.org has included several of North Park’s nursing programs in its rankings of the top programs in Chicago and Illinois.
North Park’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences received the #2 ranking for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, #5 for its nurse practitioner program, and #9 for its Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program.
In citing the high ranking for the BSN program, the website noted: “This nursing school should be high on your list if you are looking at a BSN program that is rooted in liberal arts and Christian values.”
The rankings are based on several factors, including enrollment and graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, and affordability.
The large class of first-year students bucks national and statewide trends, which have seen decreases in the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities.
North Park University this fall enrolled its third largest class of first-year students while also seeing its rankings rise significantly in several categories of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, rising 10 spots to #29 among best Regional Universities in the Midwest and to #8 for Top Performers on Social Mobility, up from #15 last year.
The large class of first-year students bucks national and statewide trends, which have seen decreases in the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities.
“For three consecutive years, North Park has successfully welcomed strong incoming classes of first-year students,” said President Mary K. Surridge. “Our elevation in multiple categories of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings—especially in measures of increased social mobility for our graduates—affirms the exceptional work being done in our very diverse student community. North Park is a rising regional university fostering an environment of academic excellence, faith development and service opportunities for all our students.”
In its annual ranking, U.S. News & World Report considered 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also takes into account student satisfaction, attending costs, and campus life in determining its list.
The Chicago Research Summit will feature author Rebecca Makkai as the keynote speaker.
The Chicago Research Summit (CRS), an event created in 2019 by North Park library staff, will convene on October 5 with author Rebecca Makkai as the keynote speaker. The CRS promotes Chicago-based research among undergrads at regional universities.
More than 100 people attended the first CRS in 2019, held on North Park’s campus. Brandel Library Director Matthew Ostercamp and other North Park librarians founded the summit in response to the creation of North Park’s Catalyst 606 program, the city-centered curriculum adopted in 2017.
The 2023 summit, to be held at Columbia College Chicago, includes schools across Chicagoland and institutions like the Chicago History Museum. The event consists of a reception with Makkai, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author. A virtual version of the summit will be held online on October 20.
Breakout sessions at this year’s summit include topics such as using archives and local institutions such as zoos for research and how to use Google Maps to analyze crime.
Darrell Fair MA ’26, has discovered purpose and transformation through the Prison and Neighborhood Arts and Education Project.
Darrell Fair MA ’26, has discovered purpose and transformation through the Prison and Neighborhood Arts and Education Project, an organization offering arts and humanities courses to men incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center.
Now a North Park Theological Seminary School of Restorative Arts master’s student, Fair’s journey showcases the transformative power of education and art, challenging perceptions about incarceration. Read more about Fair’s story at the Chicago Sun-Times.
North Park University has received nearly $1 million in grants for civic engagement and internship programs aimed at disenfranchised youth.
North Park University (NPU) has received a $937K grant from the Lilly Endowment to fund a faith-based project aimed at disenfranchised youth, as well as a $15K grant for internships from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
As part of the Lilly grant, NPU’s Center for Civic Engagement will launch a five-year project called “Intergenerational Inquiry: Intentional Conversations to Innovate Next Generation Faith Development” and will be led by Richard Kohng, assistant vice president for Civic Engagement.
Lilly’s Christian Parenting Initiative funds the project and will equip parents and congregations to share faith more effectively with children.
“It is our hope that Intergenerational Inquiry will drive new innovations in youth and parent/caregiver engagement while featuring the dynamic impact of partner organizations such as the Urban Outreach Foundation,” Kohng said. “We also hope this project will build new collaborative pathways with our founding denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, in supporting next-generation faith development and social impact outcomes.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Amy Governale will help implement the proposal process and oversee program evaluation. Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies Dr. Joel Willits and Professor of Communications Dr. Daniel White Hodge will also support curriculum design.
Separately, NPU received a grant from the IBHE for a one-year project through its Illinois Cooperative Work Study program to fund paid summer internships in summer 2024. The program, which will be led by Cristina Ricano, assistant director of Career Development, will allow five NPU students who are also Illinois residents to take internships at local businesses. The goal is to expand opportunities for students to pursue internships and seek permanent employment in Illinois after graduation.
North Park has significantly moved up the charts in two key categories in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings.
U.S. News & World Report releases best colleges list.
North Park has significantly moved up the charts in two key categories in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings. In the 2023 list, North Park was ranked #30 for best Regional Universities in the Midwest, up from #39 last year, and was ranked #8 for Top Performers on Social Mobility in the Midwest, up from #15 last year.
The social mobility ranking means North Park excels at helping students from underprivileged backgrounds enroll in and finish college.
In its annual ranking, U.S. News & World Report considered 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also takes into account student satisfaction, attending costs, and campus life in determining its rankings.
North Park’s innovative, all-online program leads to a principal endorsement.
Beginning in September, North Park University will offer its Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MAEL), which leads to a principal endorsement, in a fully online program that provides flexibility while teaching vital skills including relationship building.
The program will be led by Drs. Daniel Walsh and Theresa Alberico-Madl, each highly respected throughout the Chicagoland educational community.
The synchronous online program will be slightly different from the current blended program, which is still in place. But certain key things will remain the same, according to Alberico-Madl.
“We are small enough that we can give each student the attention they need, yet we are experienced enough to share leadership skills and best practices,” Alberico-Madl said. “Because Dan and I mentor beginning principals through the Illinois Principal Association, it allows us to stay relevant and current with issues today’s leaders face.”
Alberico-Madl and Walsh believe the foundational relationships they build will transfer via electronic teaching methods. However, they also recognize the importance of cohorts to build community, and throughout the semester will arrange for several in-person, optional events to maintain that sense of cohesiveness. Courses are designed and scheduled for working educators, with classes meeting once a week on weeknights or Saturdays. Cohorts are scheduled for completion in 24 months. The program helps students acquire the Illinois State Principal Endorsement or Teacher Leader Endorsement (formerly Type 75).
Alberico-Madl said the MAEL is perfect for those individuals who are interested in developing their own leadership skills and pursuing opportunities to make a greater difference in education.
Applicants must have two years of teaching experience and two letters of recommendation. Applications are currently being accepted for the fall.
Author Brett RavitzPosted on Categories Stories
