Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois · Private, a small city · 9,201 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into Northwestern?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
7.7%
51,769 applied
SAT, middle half
1510 to 1570
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
33 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
57% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPAConsidered
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
How much does Northwestern cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees
$70,589
A full year, sticker price
$94,854
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$34,420
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $1,427 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,536 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,811 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,954 |
| Over $110,000 | $56,074 |
- Room and board on campus
- $21,975 a year
- Books and supplies
- $1,539 a year
- The school's own grants
- 51% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $60,925
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Northwestern students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$17,017
About $193 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
18.2%
Get a Pell Grant
21.4%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
3%
What do Northwestern graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$76,267
Ten years after starting
$104,255
Middle half: $68,228 to $162,879
Best-paid program, five years out
$196,751
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$44,567
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Do Northwestern students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
98.1%
Graduate in six years
96.1%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
96% graduated
1% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to Northwestern?
Women
54.3%
First in their family at college
15.2%
Part-time
2.8%
Students per teacher
6
- Background
- White 31%, Hispanic 16%, Black 8%, Asian 21%, Two or more 8%, International 12%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 4,488 beds
What do Northwestern graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Computer Science | 247 | $133,980 | $196,751 | $16,500 |
| Information Science/Studies | 215 | $114,519 | $180,786 | $17,750 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 110 | $72,051 | $105,910 | $13,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | 62 | $81,577 | $113,564 | $16,640 |
| Civil Engineering | 38 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Computer Engineering | 43 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 39 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering Science | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, General | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, Other | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 25 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 127 | $95,993 | $151,709 | $13,992 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 34 | Hidden | $108,280 | Hidden |
| Materials Engineering | 34 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 150 | $92,622 | $106,026 | $13,263 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 23 | $98,392 | $108,579 | Hidden |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 22 | Hidden | $66,891 | Hidden |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Public Health | 120 | Hidden | Hidden | $17,941 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 293 | $38,443 | $72,499 | $16,100 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 51 | $38,053 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 239 | $36,889 | $68,791 | $18,000 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 99 | Hidden | $194,897 | $17,250 |
| Chemistry | 45 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Materials Sciences | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 129 | $114,637 | $128,728 | $22,223 |
| Physics | 44 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 100 | $90,572 | $131,750 | $18,277 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 92 | $41,046 | $68,761 | $18,119 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 105 | $35,279 | $81,517 | $14,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 34 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 48 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 24 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Special Education and Teaching | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 180 | $38,299 | $44,567 | $20,500 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 31 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Music | 176 | $47,390 | $54,501 | $19,500 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 17 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Data Science | 84 | Hidden | Hidden | $16,743 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 11 | Hidden | $95,045 | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Science, Technology and Society | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sustainability Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Compare Northwestern with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with Northwestern University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences