- The Inkwell
- Illinois
- Northwestern University
Evanston, ILCity: smallZIP 60208Founded 1851
- Sector
- Private nonprofit
- Founded
- 1851
- Motto
- Quaecumque sunt vera
- Carnegie class
- Doctoral: very high research activity (R1)
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Federal aid since
- 1965
- Website
- www.northwestern.edu
- Member of
- AAU
IllinoisPrivate nonprofit
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private nonprofit university in Evanston, Illinois, with 9,201 undergraduates. It admits 7.7% of applicants, graduates 96% within six years and costs $34,420 a year after aid.
96%graduate
Admission rate7.7%
Retention98%
4-year graduation85%
Pell Grant share21%
Federal loans18%
$34,420net price / year
7.7%admission rate
1533average SAT
96%graduate in 6 years
$104,255median earnings, 10 yrs
$17,017median debt
#42 of 1,704 for earnings#1,576 of 1,739 for lowest net price#19 of 1,738 for graduation rate#23 of 1,552 for selectivity
what it costs
Cost and net price
Net price is the average annual cost after grants and scholarships for full-time students who receive federal aid; it varies with family income.
Published cost
- Cost of attendance
- $94,854tuition, fees, housing, books, per year
- Tuition & fees, in-state
- $70,589
- Tuition & fees, out-of-state
- $70,589
- Average net price
- $34,420national median $19,980
Net price by family income
$0–30,000$1,427
$30,001–48,000$7,536
$48,001–75,000$8,811
$75,001–110,000$18,954
$110,001+$56,074
getting in
Admissions and test scores
Admission
- Admission rate
- 7.7%national median 77%
- Average SAT
- 1533
- SAT reading, middle 50%
- 740–770
- SAT math, middle 50%
- 770–800
- ACT composite, middle 50%
- 33–35
Against the national median
Admission rate · this college7.7%
Admission rate · U.S. median77%
Retention · this college98%
Retention · U.S. median76%
Graduation · this college96%
Graduation · U.S. median55%
Pell share · this college21%
Pell share · U.S. median39%
after enrolling
Graduation, earnings and debt
Completion
- Graduation rate, 6 years
- 96%within 150% of normal time
- Graduation rate, 4 years
- 85%
- First-year retention
- 98%
- Award within 8 years, all students
- 96%
Earnings and debt
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $76,267
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $104,255middle 50%: $68,228–$162,879
- Median debt at graduation
- $17,017
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Earnings ten years after entry
Upper quarter$162,879
Median, Northwestern University$104,255
Lower quarter$68,228
U.S. median, all colleges$58,886
Former students working and not enrolled · College Scorecard
who studies here
Students and faculty
Undergraduates
- Degree-seeking undergraduates
- 9,201
- Part-time
- 2.8%
- Women / men
- 54% / 46%
- Average age at entry
- 20.5
- First-generation students
- 15%
- Pell Grant recipients
- 21%
Faculty and resources
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- 6 : 1
- Full-time faculty
- 83%
- Average faculty salary
- $20,322 / month
- Instructional spending per student
- $48,932
- Endowment, end of year
- $10,981,265,000
Race and ethnicity, undergraduates
White31%
Hispanic16%
Black8.4%
Asian21%
Two or more races7.9%
U.S. nonresident12%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
Unknown4.4%
23 fields of study
Most popular fields
Share of bachelor’s degrees awarded, by broad field (CIP family).
Social sciences16%
Communication & journalism14%
Engineering14%
Computer & information sciences10%
Biological & biomedical sciences9.9%
Visual & performing arts7.7%
Psychology6.3%
Public administration & social service3.8%
keep comparing
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit colleges in Illinois
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $16,776 | 95% | $103,872 |
| Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $36,340 | 72% | $78,431 |
| Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | $36,529 | 47% | $48,427 |
| National Louis University Chicago, IL | $10,364 | 32% | $52,883 |
| DePaul University Chicago, IL | $27,108 | 67% | $75,602 |
| Lewis University Romeoville, IL | $17,318 | 57% | $59,389 |
Same Carnegie class, similar price
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | $33,934 | 94% | $113,531 |
| Georgetown University Washington, DC | $33,661 | 94% | $110,516 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | $35,780 | 94% | $125,257 |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $33,056 | 90% | $103,420 |
| New York University New York, NY | $35,737 | 88% | $90,957 |
| University of Rochester Rochester, NY | $34,347 | 83% | $88,358 |
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education — institution file, most recent cohorts. UNITID 147767. Founding year, motto and memberships: Wikidata Q309350.