Northwestern University

Basic Information

Type Private
Geographical Reach National
Population 7,500,000

Weather

Comfortable Days 105 (50%)
Sunshine Hours 2,508 (33%)
Days Without Precipitation 241 (38%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 9,168
Men / Women 46% / 54%
From State 19%
From Region 4%
Athletes 518 (5.8%)

Racial/Ethnic

White 30%
Asian 21%
Hispanic 16%
International 12%
Black 8%
Mixed 8%
Native American 0%

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Bienen School of Music 82 56% 33% 34% 4% 9% 5% $54,762 3 +0.86 7 92%
Jazz/Jazz Studies 4 +1 100% 25% 50% 0% 0% 0% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Keyboard Instruments 6 — 33% 17% 50% 0% 0% 17% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Music 11 +12 55% 36% 36% 0% 9% 0% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Music Composition 5 +1 60% 40% 40% 0% 0% 20% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Music Education 6 — 83% 50% 17% 0% 17% 0% $64,099 99 +1.86 22 — — — — —
Music Performance 18 +4 67% 39% 33% 0% 6% 6% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Musicology and Ethnomusicology 1 +1 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Stringed Instruments 19 — 42% 11% 47% 11% 11% 5% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
Voice and Opera 12 — 42% 50% 8% 8% 17% 0% $54,025 83 +0.78 6 92% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science 342 58% 30% 21% 4% 17% 17% $118,709 99 +1.13 96 96%
Biomedical Engineering 56 — 32% 23% 32% 4% 16% 9% $104,793 76 +0.52 90 97% — — — —
Chemical Engineering 24 — 67% 38% 25% 12% 8% 8% $112,366 70 +0.70 94 93% — — — —
Civil and Environmental Engineering 25 — 44% 36% 12% 20% 16% 4% $99,764 88 +1.06 87 — — — — —
Computer Engineering 26 — 92% 27% 27% 0% 15% 27% $137,432 89 +0.96 99 96% — — — —
Electrical Engineering 14 — 79% 29% 29% 0% 14% 21% $156,047 97 +1.84 100 — — — — —
Engineering 1 — 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% $104,856 79 +0.48 90 — — — — —
Environmental Engineering 5 — 20% 60% 20% 0% 0% 0% $93,939 92 +1.18 82 — — — — —
Industrial Engineering 70 — 59% 23% 13% 4% 20% 33% $150,109 97 +2.34 99 96% — — — —
Manufacturing and Design Engineering 20 — 50% 45% 15% 0% 10% 20% $107,138 88 +1.00 91 95% — — — —
Materials Engineering 12 — 67% 17% 33% 0% 33% 8% $101,635 80 +0.80 88 — — — — —
Mechanical Engineering 89 — 66% 33% 20% 0% 18% 12% $104,908 80 +0.72 90 95% — — — —
Materials Science — — — — — — — — $115,101 100 +4.20 95 — — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications 189 25% 42% 16% 8% 16% 6% $54,495 3 -0.87 6 94%
Journalism 189 — 25% 42% 16% 8% 16% 6% $54,495 19 -0.87 6 94% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Communication 289 29% 44% 8% 7% 22% 7% $60,681 12 +1.05 15 91% 4.3%
Communication Sciences and Disorders 17 — 6% 18% 18% 0% 41% 12% $66,472 72 +0.57 28 100% — — — —
Communication 2 — 50% 0% 50% 0% 0% 0% $92,888 100 +2.89 81 86% 4.3% — — —
Communication Studies 69 — 25% 36% 12% 9% 26% 10% $92,888 100 +2.89 81 86% 4.3% — — —
Dance 5 — 0% 40% 0% 0% 20% 0% $46,930 77 +0.52 3 — — — — —
Performance Studies 107 — 34% 57% 5% 7% 18% 2% $44,178 56 +0.15 2 92% — — — —
Radio, Television, and Film 89 — 34% 40% 8% 8% 21% 10% $54,495 80 +0.79 6 94% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Education and Social Policy 135 33% 36% 12% 16% 19% 6% $112,280 98 +6.67 94 97% 2.8%
Learning and Organizational Change 6 — 33% 67% 0% 17% 17% 0% $107,684 96 +2.29 92 100% — — — —
Organizational Leadership 4 — 50% 50% 0% 0% 25% 0% $111,096 97 +2.53 93 — — — — —
Human Development and Social Policy 21 — 10% 14% 14% 5% 38% 10% $107,905 100 +6.48 92 — — — — —
Public Policy Analysis 35 — 20% 31% 20% 20% 11% 6% $132,326 100 +9.37 99 100% — — — —
Social Policy 61 — 49% 46% 7% 21% 13% 7% $108,909 100 +6.59 92 95% 2.8% — — —
Learning Sciences 6 — 0% 17% 33% 0% 17% 0% $65,486 89 +1.22 26 — — — — —
Secondary Education and Teaching 2 — 100% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% $66,794 92 +1.38 29 — — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences 1,394 47% 33% 23% 6% 14% 10% $119,210 99 +1.93 96 93% 1.4%
Computer Science 137 — 72% 28% 30% 5% 8% 20% $194,600 94 +2.04 100 93% — — — —
Computer and Information Sciences 3 — 67% 33% 33% 33% 0% 0% $170,423 100 +3.51 100 — — — — —
Data Science 51 +48 49% 27% 31% 2% 16% 12% $157,225 93 +2.10 100 — — — — —
Data Science and Society 123 +18 59% 27% 27% 7% 15% 12% $178,810 100 +3.08 100 97% 1.4% — — —
Applied Mathematics 19 — 74% 42% 5% 5% 11% 16% $193,100 96 +2.67 100 96% — — — —
Chemistry 20 +5 45% 30% 35% 0% 0% 20% $160,734 100 +8.61 100 95% — — — —
Earth and Planetary Sciences 4 +2 50% 0% 25% 0% 0% 25% $72,919 84 +0.71 46 — — — — —
Mathematics 29 +31 83% 34% 31% 0% 7% 21% $127,541 92 +1.59 98 95% — — — —
Physics and Astronomy 14 +6 57% 21% 7% 0% 29% 29% $105,065 93 +1.55 90 — — — — —
Statistics 19 +14 37% 26% 47% 5% 5% 11% $130,535 86 +0.69 98 90% — — — —
Biological Sciences 131 +28 31% 37% 31% 7% 12% 1% $72,132 80 +0.66 44 89% — — — —
Neuroscience 117 +22 27% 29% 28% 11% 20% 3% $68,443 52 +0.13 33 96% — — — —
Environmental Sciences 21 +6 29% 48% 14% 5% 19% 5% $55,022 32 -0.46 7 — — — — —
Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences 277 +109 61% 38% 24% 3% 8% 15% $143,408 93 +1.71 99 93% — — — —
African-American Studies 5 — 0% 0% 0% 40% 20% 0% $57,721 50 -0.12 10 100% — — — —
American Studies 6 +8 33% 67% 0% 0% 0% 0% $59,567 55 +0.03 13 — — — — —
Asian American Studies 2 +3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% $57,721 50 -0.12 10 100% — — — —
Classical Languages 2 +2 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 0% $69,341 88 +1.01 36 — — — — —
Comparative Literature 2 +2 50% 50% 50% 0% 0% 0% $65,704 95 +1.62 26 — — — — —
Creative Writing 2 — 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% $66,510 96 +1.72 28 — — — — —
East Asian Languages 4 +3 25% 25% 25% 0% 50% 0% $69,770 89 +1.05 37 — — — — —
English 24 +24 25% 38% 12% 17% 12% 12% $68,227 97 +1.93 33 93% — — — —
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 2 +3 0% 50% 0% 50% 0% 0% $57,721 50 -0.12 10 100% — — — —
French 1 +3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% $69,089 87 +0.99 35 — — — — —
German — +1 — — — — — — $69,578 88 +1.03 37 — — — — —
History 39 +34 59% 59% 13% 3% 10% 5% $80,878 96 +2.34 64 83% — — — —
Integrated Science 5 +4 100% 40% 20% 0% 0% 40% $93,455 99 +3.46 82 — — — — —
Jewish Studies 1 +1 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% $65,881 96 +1.85 27 — — — — —
Latina and Latino Studies 2 +6 100% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% $57,721 50 -0.12 10 100% — — — —
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 2 — 100% 50% 0% 0% 0% 0% $94,350 99 +3.55 83 96% — — — —
Linguistics 5 +6 80% 20% 20% 0% 0% 40% $69,384 88 +1.01 36 — — — — —
Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1 +2 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% $59,989 55 +0.06 14 — — — — —
Philosophy 16 +5 56% 19% 6% 6% 31% 19% $96,914 99 +2.67 85 — — — — —
Religious Studies 2 +2 0% 50% 0% 0% 50% 0% $63,545 95 +1.57 21 — — — — —
Slavic Languages 5 +3 40% 40% 0% 20% 0% 20% $69,889 89 +1.06 38 — — — — —
Spanish 3 +2 0% 67% 0% 0% 33% 0% $69,384 88 +1.01 36 — — — — —
Anthropology 9 +7 44% 56% 11% 0% 22% 0% $69,438 92 +1.14 36 100% — — — —
Cognitive Science 30 +21 20% 30% 23% 10% 20% 3% $83,325 72 +0.04 69 94% — — — —
Humanities/Humanistic Studies — — — — — — — — $94,350 99 +3.40 83 96% — — — —
Political Science 89 +52 52% 36% 18% 6% 21% 7% $98,952 94 +1.97 86 96% — — — —
Psychology 128 +72 20% 34% 18% 9% 20% 6% $81,846 100 +4.06 66 90% — — — —
Psychology — — — — — — — — $66,294 96 +1.70 28 — — — — —
Social Sciences 14 — 7% 7% 0% 0% 0% 0% $89,489 99 +2.96 78 — — — — —
Sociology 16 +14 25% 12% 12% 12% 44% 12% $98,450 99 +3.77 86 89% — — — —
Art History 2 +3 0% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% $51,088 58 -0.06 4 — — — — —
Art Theory and Practice 3 +5 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 33% $50,629 55 -0.09 4 — — — — —
Legal Studies 7 +18 29% 71% 29% 0% 0% 0% $63,600 74 +0.51 21 — — — — —

Financial

Tuition & Fees $73,272
ROI Percentile 90th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 98%
4-Year Graduation Rate 83%
6-Year Graduation Rate 95%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Social Sciences 27.3% 663 29% 36% 16% 10% 19% 7% $83,969 98 +2.59 70 93% 3.6%
Engineering 14.1% 342 58% 30% 21% 4% 17% 17% $118,709 93 +1.13 96 96% —
Computer Science 12.9% 314 63% 28% 29% 6% 12% 15% $182,113 96 +2.47 100 95% 1.4%
Arts 11.8% 288 39% 44% 14% 7% 16% 6% $50,543 47 +0.55 4 93% —
Business & Economics 11.8% 287 60% 39% 23% 3% 8% 15% $142,211 99 +1.73 99 93% —
Life & Natural Sciences 10.2% 248 29% 33% 30% 9% 16% 2% $70,392 64 +0.41 39 92% —
Humanities 5.4% 131 44% 39% 11% 9% 15% 10% $75,568 97 +1.80 53 89% —
Physical Sciences & Math 4.3% 105 61% 30% 27% 2% 9% 19% $141,191 96 +2.92 99 94% —
Agriculture & Food Science 0.9% 21 29% 48% 14% 5% 19% 5% $55,022 27 -0.46 7 — —
Health Sciences 0.7% 17 6% 18% 18% 0% 41% 12% $66,472 12 +0.57 28 100% —
Education 0.3% 8 25% 12% 25% 0% 38% 0% $65,813 95 +1.26 26 — —
Professional 0.3% 7 29% 71% 29% 0% 0% 0% $63,600 40 +0.51 21 — —

Research R1

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Health Sciences $670M #18 61% $56.3M 35 #56 38 341
Life & Natural Sciences $231M #22 64% $3.5M 70 #34 631 190
Engineering $120M #44 59% $5.4M 149 #17 945 157
Physical Sciences & Math $115M #27 52% $4.4M 85 #32 543 259
Humanities & Social Sciences $32.9M #68 30% $0.2M 135 #30 345 53
Business & Economics $24.9M #19 21% $0.1M 40 #15 208 3
Computer Science $14.9M #63 51% $0.2M 18 #55 176 8
Education $14.7M #40 17% $0 4 #388 — —
Agriculture & Food Science $0 #318 — $0 — — — —
Total $1,226M #27 59% $70.1M 536 #34 2,886 1,011

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Sports NCAA D1

⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Football 109 $85.6M $37.9M $47.7M
Baseball 39 $2.4M $3.2M -$784K
Soccer 29 $737K $1.7M -$913K
Wrestling 26 $1.6M $2.3M -$635K
Swimming & Diving 25 $1.0M $1.5M -$441K
Basketball 14 $14.4M $14.7M -$296K
Tennis 11 $684K $1.1M -$416K
Golf 9 $661K $1.5M -$870K
Total 262 $107.1M $63.8M $43.3M
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Lacrosse 40 $1.6M $3.0M -$1.4M
Swimming & Diving 32 $1.6M $2.3M -$780K
Fencing 31 $610K $1.5M -$925K
Soccer 31 $1.5M $2.4M -$970K
Field Hockey 26 $1.4M $2.6M -$1.2M
Cross Country 25 $745K $1.3M -$530K
Softball 20 $1.4M $2.9M -$1.5M
Volleyball 17 $1.7M $3.5M -$1.8M
Basketball 16 $1.6M $5.9M -$4.2M
Tennis 10 $965K $1.6M -$612K
Golf 8 $1.3M $1.7M -$385K
Total 256 $14.5M $28.8M -$14.3M
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Football 109 $85.6M $37.9M $47.7M
Soccer 60 $2.2M $4.1M -$1.9M
Swimming & Diving 57 $2.6M $3.8M -$1.2M
Lacrosse 40 $1.6M $3.0M -$1.4M
Baseball 39 $2.4M $3.2M -$784K
Fencing 31 $610K $1.5M -$925K
Basketball 30 $16.1M $20.6M -$4.5M
Field Hockey 26 $1.4M $2.6M -$1.2M
Wrestling 26 $1.6M $2.3M -$635K
Cross Country 25 $745K $1.3M -$530K
Tennis 21 $1.7M $2.7M -$1.0M
Softball 20 $1.4M $2.9M -$1.5M
Golf 17 $1.9M $3.2M -$1.3M
Volleyball 17 $1.7M $3.5M -$1.8M
Total 518 $131.8M $131.8M $0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. Each team's revenue and expenses are what the college attributes to it. The Total view's totals row is the department's grand total, which also includes money not attributed to any team; the Male and Female totals rows only add up their teams.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 7.0%
Yield (non-ED) 36%
Early Decision 1 Nov 1
Regular Decision Jan 3

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 6% 6% 6%
Early Decision 20% 20% 20%
Unhooked Early Decision 15% 15% —

This college’s Common Data Set does not break down admissions by applicant demographics, so in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants share one Regular Decision rate.

Hooked: legacy, recruited athletes, faculty-related, and Questbridge

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 73%
SAT Range 1520 – 1560
SAT Math Range 770 – 790
SAT RW Range 740 – 770