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Aerial view of Northwest Nazarene University
Aerial imagery: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). USGS

Regional university

#2 Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Idaho

Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $29,580 a year

Median debt at graduation: $23,750 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

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Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

In Idaho

Academic Excellence

B+Academic Excellence: B+ (grade B+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Very good · Top 33%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.77%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,130 · ACT 24.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$6,557

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$28,732
$30,001–$48,000$30,626
$48,001–$75,000$35,166
$75,001–$110,000$33,413
Over $110,000$34,800

Full cost of attendance before aid: $55,163 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
1,156
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 44% · Women 56%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
34%
Total students1,774
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$29,580
Cost of attendance (per year)$55,163
Median federal debt at graduation$23,750
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
71%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
60%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
57%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
65%
First-year retention77%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$51,719
Admission rate65%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Admission
College website
Rolling admission
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,381 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants30%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1005–1240ACT 22–27
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1130
SAT reading & writing515–630
SAT math490–610
ACT composite22–27
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Engineering (general)$85,643
Nursing$76,250
Business administration$70,953
Accounting$70,899
Kinesiology and exercise science$49,132
Communication studies$48,307
Teacher education$45,537
Social work$44,782
Design$41,719
Liberal arts$33,265

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Bible/Biblical Studies, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Clinical and counseling psychology, Computer science, Criminal justice, Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Engineering Physics, English, Fine arts, General studies, History, International business, International relations, Managerial economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Music, Other philosophy and religious studies, Outdoor Education, Pastoral counseling, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Pre-health, Psychology, Public relations, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious Education, Religious studies, Secondary education, Social sciences, Software and media applications, Theatre, Visual and performing arts, Zoology/Animal Biology.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions19%
Business15%
Biology11%
Public administration and social service9%
Education8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates9%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older13%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,070
SportsNCAA Division II · Great Northwest Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 8%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$41,754IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 73% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceBoise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI)About 17 miles away · about 30 minutes by car
Town population110,319Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreRenoAbout 325 miles away · about 7 hours 25 minutes by car
Typical weather31°F in January · 75°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Nampa Sugar Factory, ID, about 3 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Northwest Nazarene University’s Compass Score?
Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 32% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Northwest Nazarene University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $29,580 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Northwest Nazarene University?
Northwest Nazarene University admitted 65% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Northwest Nazarene University’s graduates do?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,719; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,750.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 142461
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
  • Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Church of the Nazarene
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