Private nonprofitFour-year

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Highest award: Graduate degree

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Net price (avg)
$29,167
Academic year 2023-24
Tuition & fees
$68,322
Academic year 2024-25
Graduation rate
95.1%
Fall 2018 entering cohort (150%), Fall 2016 (200%)
Median earnings (10 yr)
$89,363
Entering cohort AY2009-10 / 2010-11, measured in 2022 dollars

Read the years, not just the numbers

Each figure below is labelled with the period it covers, because they are not all from the same year. Tuition is Academic year 2024-25, while the earnings figure describes students who entered Entering cohort AY2009-10 / 2010-11, measured in 2022 dollars. They are historical facts about this institution, not a quote for you.

What it actually costs

Net price is what students paid after grant and scholarship aid — usually far below the sticker price.

Total cost of attendance
$91,250
Academic year 2023-24
Tuition & fees (in state)
$68,322
Academic year 2024-25
Tuition & fees (out of state)
$68,322
Academic year 2024-25
Room & board (on campus)
$21,126
Academic year 2024-25
Room & board (off campus)
$21,126
Academic year 2024-25
Books & supplies
$1,794
Academic year 2024-25

Average net price by family income

Academic year 2023-24

$0–30,0001,764
$30,001–48,0006,099
$48,001–75,0007,898
$75,001–110,00018,282
$110,001+48,777

Figures are U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard data for Academic year 2023-24, published by the U.S. federal government. They are historical reference values, not a quote, and not an offer. Your actual cost will depend on your own circumstances.

This college’s official net price calculator ↗

Outcomes

Historical results for students who attended. They do not predict your own.

Graduation rate (150% time)
95.1%
Fall 2018 entering cohort (150%), Fall 2016 (200%)
Graduation rate (200% time)
97.2%
Fall 2018 entering cohort (150%), Fall 2016 (200%)
Retention (full-time)
98.1%
Fall 2023 cohort
Median earnings (6 yr)
$76,844
Entering cohort AY2009-10 / 2010-11, measured in 2022 dollars
Median earnings (10 yr)
$89,363
Entering cohort AY2009-10 / 2010-11, measured in 2022 dollars
Loan default rate (3 yr)
0.0%
FSA FY2022 cohort
Median debt of completers
$15,000
NSLDS FY2020/21 pooled
Median debt monthly payment
$159.02
NSLDS FY2020/21 pooled
Repayment rate (3 yr)
87.0%
NSLDS FY2013/14 cohort

Compared with a high-school graduate

Students here earned a median of $89,363 ten years after entering, against a national benchmark for high-school graduates of $36,082. That benchmark is 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, 2024 dollars.

Admissions and size

Many institutions do not report these — “Not reported” is not a zero.

Admission rate
7.7%
Fall 2024
Average SAT (equivalent)
1,533
Fall 2024
ACT 25th–75th percentile
33–35
Fall 2024
Undergraduate enrollment
9,201
Fall 2024
Student-faculty ratio
6:1
Fall 2024
First-generation share
15.2%
Fall 2024
Pell grant recipients
18.6%
Academic year 2023-24
Federal loan recipients
17.1%
Academic year 2023-24
Median family income
$58,836
AY2022-23 (median family income)

Student body

Fall 2024

White31%
Hispanic16%
Black8%
Asian21%
Two or more races8%
Nonresident / international12%

Other Four-year institutions in IL

Peer institutions
InstitutionNet priceGrad rateEarnings (10 yr)
Adler UniversityNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Ambria College of NursingNot reportedNot reported$67,290
American Islamic CollegeNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Augustana CollegeNot reported72.9%$62,971
Aurora UniversityNot reported60.3%$58,709
Benedictine UniversityNot reported50.3%$63,446
Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation Inc.Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Blackburn CollegeNot reported57.5%$46,802
Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health SciencesNot reportedNot reported$72,430
Bradley UniversityNot reported76.2%$66,852
Catholic Theological Union at ChicagoNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Chamberlain University-IllinoisNot reported41.7%$92,405

Earnings by field of study

Four years after graduation, by programme. Compare each against the national median for that field.

Earnings by field of study
ProgrammeMedian earnings (4 yr)National medianMedian debt
Law.$291,132$107,773Not reported
Business Administration, Management and Operations.$244,399$103,485Not reported
Business/Commerce, General.$240,637$125,988Not reported
Engineering, Other.$211,469$129,974Not reported
Computer Science.$197,823$145,571Not reported
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies.$189,578$198,417Not reported
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.$180,186$124,807Not reported
Community Organization and Advocacy.$168,632$67,597Not reported
Information Science/Studies.$163,740$85,294$12,000
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies.$155,436$106,836Not reported
Computer Science.$155,106$107,009$14,600
Applied Mathematics.$148,740$91,532Not reported
Information Science/Studies.$141,026$112,705Not reported
Industrial Engineering.$138,720$98,442$17,912
Engineering-Related Fields.$136,480$125,651Not reported
Medical Illustration and Informatics.$132,068$101,441Not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.$130,944$127,347Not reported
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians.$129,403$117,775Not reported
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other.$126,571$85,444Not reported
Economics.$126,006$82,686$16,227

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10) — https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/ · Data last updated 2026-06-10