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.