Northwestern University
Private nonprofit four-year university in Evanston, IL that costs an average of $34,420 a year after financial aid, admits 7.7% of applicants and graduates 96% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$34,420
Acceptance rate
7.7%
Graduation rate
96%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$104,255
Private nonprofitSmall city9,201 undergraduates
Cost of Northwestern University
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $94,854 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $70,589 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $21,975 |
| Books and supplies | $1,539 |
| Average net price after aid | $34,420 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $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 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships. Get your own estimate with Northwestern University's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 7.7% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,533 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 740–770 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 770–800 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 33–35 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 96% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $76,267 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $104,255 |
| Rank in Illinois (earnings) | 1st of 65 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $17,017 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $193 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 21% |
| Students with federal loans | 18% |
Majors and programs at Northwestern University
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (85)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 247 | $133,980 | $16,500 |
| Mathematics | 129 | $114,637 | $22,223 |
| Information Science/Studies | 215 | $114,519 | $17,750 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 23 | $98,392 | — |
| Economics | 677 | $96,688 | $16,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | 127 | $95,993 | $13,992 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 150 | $92,622 | $13,263 |
| Statistics | 100 | $90,572 | $18,277 |
| Chemical Engineering | 62 | $81,577 | $16,640 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 110 | $72,051 | $13,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 159 | $64,034 | $19,500 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 141 | $59,046 | $15,746 |
| Sociology | 62 | $55,251 | — |
| Political Science and Government | 209 | $54,360 | $19,250 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 480 | $53,639 | $15,500 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 65 | $50,693 | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 76 | $49,429 | $17,038 |
| Music | 176 | $47,390 | $19,500 |
| Psychology | 366 | $44,829 | $15,000 |
| English Language and Literature | 92 | $41,046 | $18,119 |
| Biology | 293 | $38,443 | $16,100 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 180 | $38,299 | $20,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 51 | $38,053 | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 239 | $36,889 | $18,000 |
| History | 105 | $35,279 | $14,000 |
| Anthropology | 38 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 99 | — | $17,250 |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Area Studies | 18 | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 17 | — | — |
| Business/Commerce | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | 45 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 38 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | — | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 22 | — | — |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 3 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 43 | — | — |
| Dance | 4 | — | — |
| Data Science | 84 | — | $16,743 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | — | — | — |
| Education | — | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 6 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 39 | — | — |
| Engineering | 4 | — | — |
| Engineering Science | — | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | — | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 25 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 36 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 31 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 7 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 8 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | — | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 38 | — | — |
| Journalism | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 11 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 34 | — | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 34 | — | — |
| Materials Engineering | 34 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 3 | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 9 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 34 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 48 | — | — |
| Physics | 44 | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Public Health | 120 | — | $17,941 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 85 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 24 | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | 8 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | 21 | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | — | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 4 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 12 | — | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | — | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | — | — | — |
Certificate programs (23)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | — | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | — | — | — |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Business/Commerce | — | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 106 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | — | — | — |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| Economics | — | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | — | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 95 | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 51 | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 11 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | — | — | — |
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (7)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | $76,690 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | — | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | — | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | — | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | — | — | $16,500 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (112)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 390 | $267,548 | $189,110 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 3,830 | $194,598 | $80,058 |
| Business/Commerce | 194 | $191,505 | — |
| Engineering, Other | 184 | $176,926 | $115,500 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | — | $163,221 | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 89 | $132,539 | $74,250 |
| Information Science/Studies | 114 | $127,279 | $47,501 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 100 | $126,648 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 67 | $120,870 | $152,824 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 42 | $108,292 | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 81 | $94,163 | — |
| Biotechnology | 73 | $91,880 | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 200 | $88,532 | $60,859 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 1 | $88,413 | — |
| Public Administration | 179 | $83,556 | $48,064 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 90 | $81,405 | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 29 | $81,217 | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 844 | $77,559 | $62,410 |
| Public Health | 107 | $69,082 | $58,012 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 107 | $67,040 | $154,141 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 60 | $65,086 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 125 | $64,640 | $126,835 |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 44 | $63,278 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 113 | $62,341 | $41,653 |
| Journalism | — | $61,000 | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 155 | $58,285 | $82,682 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 745 | $49,183 | $174,057 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 91 | $48,572 | $127,929 |
| Music | 127 | $29,649 | $41,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Anthropology | 9 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 24 | — | — |
| Area Studies | — | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 12 | — | — |
| Biology | — | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 21 | — | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 26 | — | — |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | — | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 42 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 18 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 90 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Cognitive Science | — | — | — |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 76 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 91 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 320 | — | $51,159 |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | — | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 14 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 44 | — | — |
| Economics | 133 | — | — |
| Education | 9 | — | — |
| Education, Other | 2 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 16 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 69 | — | — |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 31 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | — | — | — |
| Engineering Physics | 4 | — | — |
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other | 156 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 30 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 23 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 620 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 16 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 4 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 47 | — | — |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | 11 | — | — |
| History | 20 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 7 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 9 | — | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 4 | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 495 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 4 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 5 | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | — | — | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | — | — | — |
| Marketing | 396 | — | — |
| Materials Engineering | 88 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 1 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 89 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 36 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 69 | — | — |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | — | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | — | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 19 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 5 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 5 | — | — |
| Physics | 32 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 21 | — | — |
| Psychology | 24 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | — | — | — |
| Real Estate | — | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Religious Music and Worship | — | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 33 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | — | — |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 35 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Sociology | 15 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 40 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 6 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 18 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 10 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (69)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Engineering | 74 | $150,801 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 63 | $88,691 | $73,294 |
| Chemistry | 91 | $86,441 | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 64 | $86,257 | — |
| Biology | 45 | $82,806 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | $77,788 | $168,370 |
| Music | 33 | $56,974 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Anthropology | 17 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 12 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 14 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 9 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | — | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 36 | — | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 3 | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | — | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 38 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 28 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | — | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 11 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 9 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 29 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 14 | — | — |
| Economics | 58 | — | — |
| Education, Other | 8 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 24 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | 6 | — | — |
| Engineering Physics | 5 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 8 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 10 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | — | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 10 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 8 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| History | 25 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 8 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 11 | — | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 18 | — | — |
| Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies | — | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 11 | — | — |
| Marketing | 7 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 16 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 30 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | — | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 35 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 3 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 6 | — | — |
| Physics | 15 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 27 | — | — |
| Psychology | 12 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 14 | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 5 | — | — |
| Religious Music and Worship | — | — | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 10 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 10 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | 5 | — | — |
| Sociology | 22 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 6 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 10 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | — | — | — |
Professional degree programs (6)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | 597 | $220,974 | $175,867 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | — | $143,011 | $83,447 |
| Medicine | 304 | $70,959 | $183,053 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 35 | — | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 181 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (41)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 28 | $139,000 | — |
| Area Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5 | — | — |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 2 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | 10 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Cognitive Science | 11 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 23 | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 26 | — | — |
| Education | — | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 8 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 2 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 1 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 19 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 4 | — | — |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 10 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 39 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 1 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 6 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 128 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 34 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 4 | — | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 1 | — | — |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | — | — | — |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | — | — | — |
| Music | — | — | — |
| Public Administration | 3 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 1 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 8 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 4 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | — | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | — | — | — |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 1 | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 6 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 5 | — | — |
Similar colleges in Illinois
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | Chicago | $16,776 | 4.5% | $103,872 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | $36,340 | 82% | $78,431 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | $27,308 | 76% | $75,602 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | $36,529 | 89% | $48,427 |
| National Louis University | Chicago | $10,364 | 95% | $52,883 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | $17,318 | 71% | $59,389 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | $19,385 | 81% | $64,180 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | $22,469 | 77% | $76,013 |
About Northwestern University
| Type | Private nonprofit four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Evanston, IL |
| Setting | Small city |
| Undergraduates | 9,201 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 6 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Higher Learning Commission |
| Website | northwestern.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is Northwestern University's acceptance rate?
Northwestern University admits 7.7% of applicants, making it highly selective. Admitted students average 1,533 on the SAT.
How much does Northwestern University cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $94,854 a year (tuition and fees: $70,589). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $34,420 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $1,427.
How much do Northwestern University graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $104,255 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 1st of 65 similar colleges in Illinois. The best-paid bachelor's program is computer science ($133,980 a year after graduation).
What is Northwestern University's graduation rate?
96% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% of first-year students return for a second year.