Regional university
#10 Best colleges for NAIA athletes in AmericaNorthwest University
Kirkland, WA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $22,288 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,891 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
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
- Best colleges for NAIA athletes in America#10 of 221
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#136 of 1,046
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Best small colleges in America#174 of 906
- Best colleges for accounting in America#224 of 1,132
- Best colleges for nursing in America#212 of 1,068
Show 6 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#377 of 1,829
- Best colleges for business in America#337 of 1,563
- Best colleges for marketing in America#182 of 834
- Best colleges for education in America#289 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#284 of 1,238
- Best colleges for psychology in America#352 of 1,418
In Washington
Academic Excellence
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.84%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,150
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,820
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $50,501 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 679 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 40% · Women 60% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 36% |
| Total students | 999 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $22,288 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $50,501 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,891 |
| 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 | 45% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 47% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 66% |
| First-year retention | 84% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $54,914 |
| Admission rate | 83% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $30 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 25% |
| Average SAT | 1150 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–700 |
| SAT math | 500–650 |
| ACT composite | — |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 49% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Business administration | |
| Teacher education | |
| Public relations | |
| Psychology | |
| Theology | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Arts management, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Bible/Biblical Studies, Biology, Business (general), Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Communication studies, Criminal justice, Education (general), English, General studies, Health sciences, History, History and Political Science, Human Computer Interaction, Marketing, Mathematics, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Natural resources and conservation, Other philosophy and religious studies, Pastoral counseling, Physiology and pathology, Political science, Religious Music and Worship, Secondary education, Teaching English as a second language.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 8% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,180 |
| Sports | NAIA · Cascade Collegiate Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 10%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 25%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $11,704IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 99% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)About 16 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Town population | 92,621Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | SeattleAbout 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 42°F in January · 67°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA, about 4 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.95 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.95 | 0.15 |
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.
Questions families ask
- What is Northwest University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 25% 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 University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $22,288 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 University?
- Northwest University admitted 83% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Northwest 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 $54,914; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,891.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 236133
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Assemblies of God Church
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