National university
#21 Most selective colleges in AmericaNorthwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $29,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $15,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Fall 2026 Regional Information SessionsOctober 21, 2026 · 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. (UTC-4) · New York: Long IslandMore about Fall 2026 Regional Information SessionsAdd to calendar
- Alumni Perspectives on Community, Belonging, and CareersOctober 31, 2026 · 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. CDTMore about Alumni Perspectives on Community, Belonging, and CareersAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Campus tour
Northwestern University Campus Tour || February 2022 · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
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 education in America#9 of 1,318
- Best colleges for business in America#12 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#11 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#23 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#19 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#19 of 1,418
Show 26 more
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#20 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#18 of 1,187
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#31 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#22 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#22 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#22 of 1,215
- Best colleges for music in America#20 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#22 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#22 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#17 of 750
- Best mid-size colleges in America#16 of 667
- Best colleges for engineering in America#19 of 749
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#18 of 704
- Best colleges for economics in America#22 of 788
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#21 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#21 of 683
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#23 of 690
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#13 of 367
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#31 of 693
- Best colleges in the Chicago area#2 of 39
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#46 of 682
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#53 of 684
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#84 of 598
- Best value colleges in the Midwest in America#36 of 177
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best value colleges in America#156 of 674
In Illinois
- Best colleges for business in Illinois#1 of 52
- Best colleges for education in Illinois#1 of 49
- Best colleges in Illinois#2 of 57
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Illinois#2 of 57
- Best test-optional colleges in Illinois#2 of 56
- Best colleges for English in Illinois#2 of 49
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for psychology in Illinois#2 of 49
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Illinois#2 of 48
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Illinois#2 of 48
- Best colleges for art and design in Illinois#2 of 47
- Best colleges for mathematics in Illinois#2 of 47
- Best colleges for chemistry in Illinois#2 of 46
- Best colleges for music in Illinois#2 of 46
- Best colleges for history in Illinois#2 of 45
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Illinois#2 of 44
- Best colleges for computer science in Illinois#2 of 39
- Best colleges for economics in Illinois#2 of 34
- Best colleges for engineering in Illinois#2 of 27
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Illinois#1 of 13
- Best mid-size colleges in Illinois#2 of 24
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Illinois#2 of 21
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Illinois#2 of 21
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Illinois#2 of 21
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Illinois#2 of 21
- Most selective colleges in Illinois#2 of 21
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Illinois#3 of 21
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Illinois#3 of 20
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Illinois#5 of 19
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.95%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,533 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.6 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$48,932
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $91,250 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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) | 9,157 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 46% · Women 54% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 15% |
| Total students | 23,203 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $29,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $91,250 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $15,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 95% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 89% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 83% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 87% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $89,363 |
| Admission rate | 8% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $75 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,581 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1533 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–770 |
| SAT math | 770–800 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 27% (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 |
|---|---|
| Information science | |
| Computer science | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Statistics | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Human resources | |
| Mathematics | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Manufacturing Engineering | |
| Communication studies | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | |
| Journalism | |
| History | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Sociology | |
| International relations | |
| Psychology | |
| Political science | |
| Biology | |
| Other psychology | |
| English | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Neuroscience | |
| Music | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biological and physical sciences, Business (general), Chemistry, Civil engineering, Classics, Clinical and counseling psychology, Computer engineering, Computing and information science, Dance, Data Science, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Education (general), Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Engineering Science, Entrepreneurship, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Experimental psychology, Family and human development, Fine arts, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Materials Engineering, Materials Sciences, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Natural resources and conservation, Other architecture, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Other engineering, Other social sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Social sciences, Special education, Speech-language pathology, Sustainability Studies, Teacher education, Urban Studies/Affairs, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Engineering | |
| Social sciences | |
| Communication | |
| Biology | |
| Computer and information sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 3% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $21,126 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference |
| ROTC | Navy |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 6 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 11%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 83%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $505,266IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 49% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)About 13 miles away · about 55 minutes by car |
| Town population | 76,340Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ChicagoAbout 15 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 24°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Chicago Botanic Garden, IL, about 8 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is Northwestern University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% 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 Northwestern University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $29,000 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 Northwestern University?
- Northwestern University admitted 8% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Northwestern University’s graduates do?
- 95% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $89,363; the median federal debt at graduation is $15,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 147767
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Northwestern vs Cornell · Northwestern vs Duke · Northwestern vs University of Pennsylvania · Northwestern vs Carnegie Mellon
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