students walking in naperville

Naperville

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Location Matters

We know you’ll love campus. You’ll feel comfortable, energized and excited about spending the next few years of your life here. But a big part of the North Central experience is about getting out and exploring new ideas and new places. Our hometown gives you lots of great places to start new adventures.

The Big Picture

  • Naperville is one of the Midwest’s best places to live, according to Money magazine. (And thousands of residents agree!)
  • Naperville is consistently ranked the #1 "Safest City in America" by niche.com.
  • Naperville is also rated one of the "50 Safest College Towns in America" according to Safewise.
students in downtown naperville

Call Naperville Home

We may be biased, but we think the College’s neighborhood is one of the town’s best, filled with beautiful homes and tree-lined streets. We’re in the heart of the historic district and just a few blocks from downtown.

Hanging out

If you feel like simply walking around, shopping and grabbing a bite, there are plenty of places for that just a few blocks away in downtown Naperville. 

Eat

  • Adagio Teas
  • Egg Harbor Café
  • Firecakes Craft Donuts
  • Gia Mia
  • Giordano’s
  • Hugo's Frog Bar
  • Jimmy John’s
  • Jojo's Shake Bar
  • Lou Malnatis
  • Nando's Peri-Peri
  • Noodles and Co.
  • Potbelly’s
  • Smoothie King
  • Starbucks
  • LOTS of others – Irish, Italian, Mexican, Thai, sushi, and more!
students inside ice cream shop

Shop

  • Anthropologie
  • Apple
  • Barnes and Noble
  • Gap
  • Lululemon      
  • Sephora
  • And much more
Students walking around downtown Naperville

Getting down to business

The Naperville area is a career builder’s dream. You’ll find tons of internships and part time jobs in our own backyard. Here are a few places students recently found great opportunities to learn:

  • Argonne National Laboratory
  • Calamos Investments
  • Edward Hospital
  • Elmhurst Art Museum
  • Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
  • Lurie Children’s Hospital
  • MACLYN (advertising)
  • Navistar
  • Paramount Theater
  • A variety of local school districts
  • Willowbrook Wildlife Center

Heart and soul

North Central students are committed to making the world a better place, and most of them complete volunteer work before they graduate. Service projects are a fun way to give back to the community -- and to get valuable leadership experience at the same time. Here are just a few of the organizations that welcome the help of North Central students:

  • Bryan House
  • DuPage Children’s Museum
  • Hesed House
  • Houses of worship
  • Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry
  • World Relief

Our Office of Faith and Action can help you identify the projects that speak to your heart and soul.

students on volunteer trip

Fun and recreation

Campus is hopping 24/7, but we know that sometimes it feels good to get away for a while. There’s so much to do in the Naperville area, you’ll always have something new to check out.

  • Brookfield Zoo
  • Cantigny Park
  • Centennial Beach
  • Forest preserves and bike trails
  • Kayaking
  • Morton Arboretum
  • Movie theaters
  • Naper Settlement
  • Paddleboating
  • Riverwalk
students inside pinots palette

Where to Stay

Get discounted rates with our hotel partners!

North Central College has an agreement with the Naperville hotels listed below to offer discounted rates to all friends and family of the school. Whether you are visiting, attending a sporting event, or seeing a play, one of our partner hotels can accommodate you. 

students hanging out at the naperville riverwalk