Our Mission
The Shimer Great Books School at North Central College brings students into direct contact with major works in philosophy, literature, science, history, and the arts, so they can study not just conclusions but the thinking behind them.
Students learn in small seminars where faculty guide discussion, ask hard questions, and help each person connect ideas across disciplines. The program is built around close reading, thoughtful argument, and a shared commitment to learning together.
Original sources
Students work with primary texts rather than relying only on summaries or secondhand accounts.
Seminar discussion
Faculty and students sit together, ask questions, and shape the conversation as a community.
Cross-disciplinary learning
The program connects questions from the humanities, sciences, and social thought.
What are “Great Books”?
The “Great Books” are the original works that have shaped how people understand themselves and the world — the books, artworks, experiments, and ideas that countless generations have returned to. At Shimer, students read these primary sources directly rather than relying on textbooks or summaries, learning not only from an author’s conclusions but from their journey of discovery.
Together these works form what the educator Robert Maynard Hutchins called “the Great Conversation” — an ongoing dialogue that runs from Homer, Plato, and the Bible through Shakespeare and Descartes to Newton, Darwin, and beyond, and reaches well past the Western tradition. Every Shimer seminar joins that conversation, getting to the root of enduring questions through discussion rather than lecture.
Primary sources
Students read original works directly — not textbooks — and follow each thinker’s reasoning for themselves.
The Great Conversation
The books question and answer one another across centuries, forming a dialogue students enter and continue.
Beyond books
The curriculum also studies paintings, music, films, buildings, and experiments — wherever great ideas take form.
History
Shimer’s roots reach back to 1853, when the Mount Carroll Seminary opened in Mount Carroll, Illinois, founded by the schoolteachers Frances Wood and Cindarella Gregory. It was later renamed for its founder, Frances Wood Shimer, and became affiliated with the University of Chicago in 1896.
In 1950 it became Shimer College, adopting a four-year Great Books curriculum based on the University of Chicago’s Hutchins Plan. Over the following decades the college moved from Mount Carroll to Waukegan and then to Chicago, and became known for governing itself through a community assembly. In 2017, North Central College acquired the program and established the Shimer Great Books School in Naperville, where its curriculum continues today.
1853 — Founded
Opened as the Mount Carroll Seminary, later named for founder Frances Wood Shimer.
1950 — Shimer College
Adopted a four-year Great Books curriculum based on the University of Chicago’s Hutchins Plan.
2017 — North Central College
The Shimer Great Books School was established in Naperville to carry the curriculum forward.
Curriculum
The curriculum is designed as a four-year sequence of seminars that brings together primary texts, careful reading, and questions from the humanities, sciences, and social thought.
Humanities and literature
Students read major works in philosophy, history, literature, and the arts as part of a shared conversation.
Natural sciences
Scientific inquiry is studied through original texts, experiments, and sustained discussion.
Social thought
Students examine political, moral, and social questions with attention to both history and contemporary life.
Faculty
Shimer faculty guide seminars, help students read carefully, and encourage discussion that connects ideas across disciplines. They are also available to meet with students and support academic work.
Shimer Great Books Faculty
Committees
Committee structures and membership can change. Contact the Shimer Great Books School or North Central College for current governance information.
Ask About Committees
Committee names and charges vary by year. Contact the Shimer office for current details.
Get Involved
Ask your Shimer faculty advisor how to take part in shaping courses and program decisions.
Campus-Wide Government
As North Central students, Shimer students can join North Central’s student government.
Apply & Visit
Students begin by applying to North Central College and letting the college know they are interested in Shimer. North Central reviews applications on a rolling basis, and an admissions counselor will guide you from application to enrollment.
Not sure yet? Visiting campus is the best way to get a feel for Shimer. North Central offers small-group information sessions with a walking campus tour, individual visits for applicants, and a virtual campus tour for those who can’t make it to Naperville.
Step 1 — Apply
Submit the Common Application or North Central’s own application. There is no fixed deadline — applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Step 2 — Tell us about Shimer
Let your admissions counselor know you’re interested in the Shimer Great Books School so they can connect you with the program.
Step 3 — Visit or connect
Take a campus tour, join a small-group visit, or speak with Shimer faculty and staff to see whether the program fits your interests.
Admissions questions: call North Central’s Office of Admission at 630-637-5800 or email admissions@noctrl.edu.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Shimer students pay standard North Central College tuition and are eligible for the same financial aid as every other North Central student. Of new students, 100% receive some form of financial assistance.
Eligible new first-year and transfer students from Illinois beginning in fall 2026 may qualify for the North Central College Cardinal Pledge, which covers 100% of tuition and standard fees. Additional eligibility requirements apply. Current cost figures change each academic year — the links below always reflect the latest numbers from North Central’s financial aid office.
Scholarships
Merit scholarships based on academics and program of interest, awarded automatically with admission.
Grants
Need-based assistance from federal, state, and North Central sources after filing the FAFSA.
Loans & Employment
Federal and private loan options, plus campus jobs and federal work-study.
Campus Resources
Shimer students are North Central College students, with full access to the college’s safety, health, and support offices. For a life-threatening emergency, always call 911 first.
Campus Safety
24/7 emergency response, escorts, and non-emergency assistance. Call 630-637-5911 anytime, or 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
Title IX & Sexual Misconduct
Reports of sex discrimination or sexual misconduct. The Campus Conduct Hotline, 866-943-5787, takes anonymous reports 24 hours a day.
Dyson Wellness Center
Confidential medical care, short-term counseling, and health education. Call 630-637-5550, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Student Disability Services
Academic accommodations and accessibility support. Call 630-637-5264 or email sds@noctrl.edu.
Office hours, phone numbers, and staff can change. The linked North Central College pages always show the most current information.
Frequently Asked Questions
