North Park University
North Park University is a private Christian university in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is located on Chicago's north side and enrolls more than 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students.
Not to be confused with North University Park.
Former name
North Park Theological Seminary (1891–1894)
North Park Junior College (1894–1958)
North Park College (1958–1997)
"In Thy Light Shall We See Light"
"Preparing Students for Lives of Significance and Service"[1]
$99.5 million (2022)[4]
Mary K. Surridge
125 Full-time[5]
2,624 (Fall 2023)[6]
1,877 (Fall 2023)
747 (Fall 2023)
Large City, 33 acres (0.13 km2)
Blue and yellow[7]
Vikings
Ragnar
The university is organized into the following academic units:
It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Its most popular undergraduate majors, based on number out of 365 graduates in 2022, were:[17]
The Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life[edit]
The Johnson Center for Science and Community Life was opened in September 2014. The expansion cost $57 million largely funded by Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson in a capital campaign named "Campaign North Park".[23] The Johnson Center is a state-of-the-art addition to North Park University's science programs and is home to 1891 Bread Co. The Johnson Center has 101,000 square feet, three floors and a garden level and is located in the central area of campus. Equipped with 30 science laboratories, the building is a space for student and faculty research, "smart" technology in every classroom, and several conference rooms. The Johnson Center is also dedicated to campus community life with a two-story atrium and lobby for gathering and social interaction, offices for programs supporting co-curricular learning, spiritual growth, vocational development, urban engagement, and campus life. The building is also equipped with communal study spaces, a prayer room, and a courtyard.[24]
Swedish-American traditions[edit]
North Park University's Brandel Library administers the Swedish-American Historical Society Archives in Chicago. The Center for Scandinavian Studies at North Park is the legal trustee.[25] The Saint Lucy's Day festival is held each December in Anderson Chapel. The service follows many Swedish traditions and is one of the few Santa Lucia Festivals held in the Chicago area.[26] The university has an student exchange program with Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola and Jönköping University in Jönköping, Sweden.[27]