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Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2

Private institution in Evanston, IL · 8,960 undergraduates · 7% acceptance rate · $89,363 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$27,1431,603rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$65,9972,019th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$65,9972,019th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance
$87,8041,985th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt
$15,000310th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$89,36376th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$76,84477th highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
95.9%32nd highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention
97.4%80th highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
7.1%21st most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT
152622nd highest of 1,024 reporting
Median ACT
351st highest of 954 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates
8,960285th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
6.0:195th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share
18.7%1,787th highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 13 mi (ORD)

On 15 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
$75
Personal essay
Optional / not required
Writing supplement
No

Supplemental prompts (2025-26)

  • The following question is required for all Common Application and Coalition with Scoir applicants (optional for QuestBridge applicants). Please respond in 300 words or fewer:
  • - We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?
  • We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:
  • Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
  • Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
  • Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
  • Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
  • Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

Source: Aristotle Circle 2025-26 supplemental prompt roundup

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 83 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Computer Sciencebachelors$101,406$98,403
Industrial EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$90,146$79,849
Information Science/StudiesComputer Sciencebachelors$84,653$83,546
Computer EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$82,440$85,918
Chemical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$77,213$79,688
Mechanical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$74,465$73,112
Manufacturing EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$73,949—
Materials EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$73,635$63,005
MathematicsMathematics & Statisticsbachelors$72,605$75,518
EconomicsSocial Sciencesbachelors$70,545$73,035
Community Organization and AdvocacyPublic Administrationbachelors$68,778$64,990
Applied MathematicsMathematics & Statisticsbachelors$67,660—

Campus facts

Athletics — 14 sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $27,930,178 (M $14,880,630 · W $13,049,548)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Notable alumni

Illustrative alumni only — not exhaustive and not a quality ranking. Affiliation claims cite Wikipedia/Wikidata; confirm on primary bios before relying on them.

Campus news