Evanston, IL · Private · 9,201 undergraduates · urban
Northwestern University
Extremely selective
Northwestern is known for placing journalism, theater, music, engineering, communications, and the liberal arts beside one another on a lakefront campus. The quarter system makes that breadth usable by fitting more courses into a year, but it also keeps deadlines arriving quickly. Evanston provides a college-town center; Chicago remains close enough for internships, performance, reporting, and research.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in academic standing, and exceptional in career outcomes.- Admission
- 7.2% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 96.5%
51,769 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$89,363 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Northwestern apart
The quarter system expands course choice
Three ten-week terms let students fit more separate classes into an academic year than a semester calendar usually permits.
Specialized schools share one campus
Journalism, communication, music, engineering, education, and liberal arts sit close enough for meaningful combinations.
Chicago is available without replacing campus
Evanston retains a residential center while transit makes city work and culture practical.
The Northwestern rhythm
More courses, faster turns
The quarter system rewards students who want breadth and can make decisions at speed.
Enter through one school
A defined undergraduate school supplies requirements, advisers, and a professional or disciplinary center.
Use the extra course slots
Quarter scheduling makes a second field, certificate, or exploratory sequence easier to fit.
Connect the work to Chicago
Media, arts, research, companies, and civic organizations give classroom work an outside setting.
Can I get in?
7.2% admitted
Northwestern wants strong preparation for the undergraduate school selected and evidence that the student will use the university’s cross-school access. A list of unrelated interests is weaker than one credible connection.
Recent applicant pool
51,769About 7 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 50% submitted an SAT, and 29% submitted an ACT. Decide by comparing your score with the published range and the rest of your academic record.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northwestern, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Northwestern weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Choose an academic home
The file should fit the curriculum of the undergraduate school receiving the application.
Connect interests credibly
Show where two fields have already met in the student’s work rather than promising future interdisciplinarity.
Demonstrate pace management
Sustained commitments and strong recommendations can show readiness for a fast quarter system.
Use Chicago concretely
Name the professional, cultural, or civic opportunity the student would pursue during the year.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Northwestern offers Early Decision and Regular Decision. The application should identify an academic home and then show why crossing one of its boundaries would improve the student’s work.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Need-based aid can reduce the published price considerably. Travel and Chicago-area expenses should remain in the household estimate.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Northwestern
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Media, theater, technology, consulting, finance, research, medicine, and graduate study all have established routes. Chicago access supports professional work before graduation.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
Admits separately
Psychology, General
Biology, General
Computer Science
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Northwestern beyond the classroom
The lakefront and Evanston give Northwestern a defined residential campus, while Chicago broadens the week. Greek life, performance, athletics, publications, and school-specific communities create several overlapping social centers.
Residential communities vary in theme and scale
Traditional halls and residential colleges give students several ways to build an initial campus network.
Campus meals sit beside Evanston options
Dining halls cover the routine, while downtown Evanston adds restaurants within walking distance.
Performance and media are highly visible
Theater, music, journalism, comedy, publications, service, research, entrepreneurship, and athletics sustain active student communities.
Greek life is one part of a broader map
Fraternities and sororities operate alongside residential colleges, productions, teams, clubs, and Chicago outings.
Ten-week quarters move quickly
Students can take more distinct courses, but exams and decisions arrive with less recovery time between them.