Name Change Marks A 'New Chapter' For North Central College

NAPERVILLE, IL — A name change for the former North Central College is marking "a new chapter," officials said in an announcement Monday. The institution will be called North Central University Naperville.

“The decision to change the institution’s name to North Central University Naperville is not a decision to change who we are. It is a decision to fully express the institution we have become,” North Central College President and Board of Trustees member Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá shared in a statement.

Gòkè-Paríolá added, “This is an institution that has evolved throughout its 165-year history while remaining true to its mission, values, and commitment to students. The new name reflects the wide range of opportunities that we offer to our students, including an extensive portfolio or undergraduate and graduate programs, and professional pathways.”

This is the third time in the school's 165 years that it has gone through a name change. When it was founded 1861, the school was called Plainfield College. The name was changed to North-Western College in 1864 to reflect a wider geographic reach.

The institution took on the name North Central College in 1926 to differentiate it from Northwestern University and "[communicate] its place within the Evangelical church," a news release said.

The name North Central University Naperville was chosen to illustrate the variety of offerings at the school and to give a nod to its location in Naperville.

In their announcement, officials said the name change came after conversations between board members, senior leaders, students, alumni, corporate partners, donors and community members.

Recurring themes in the conversation stressed that North Central has a university-level scope and that its location in Naperville is a significant asset due to the city's size and frequent rankings among best places to live in the United States .

President Gòkè-Paríolá said, “Naperville has been an essential part of North Central’s story for more than 150 years."

The name change will officially take effect July 1, 2027. In the meantime, North Central will design a new logo and prepare marketing materials to reflect the new name.