Northwestern: What the Numbers Actually Say
The number that should sell Northwestern is not the admit rate — it is the classroom. Three-quarters of its course sections enrol fewer than twenty students — among the very highest shares profiled here, edged only by UChicago — on a six-to-one student–faculty ratio. For a research university of nine thousand undergraduates, that is a seminar college wearing a Big Ten jacket.
Northwestern admitted 7.7% of 49,474 applicants. The average net price after aid is $29,167, 76% of course sections have fewer than 20 students — behind only UChicago among the schools profiled here — and the median graduate earns $89,363 ten years after enrolling.
At a glance
| Northwestern University | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Evanston, IL | |
| Undergraduates | 9,060 | |
| Acceptance rate | 7.7% | |
| Applicants / admits | 49,474 / 3,806 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1510–1570 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 34–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 6:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $29,167 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $89,363 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,000 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: what Northwestern says it weighs
Northwestern drew 49,474 applications and admitted 3,806 — 7.7% — with 55.3% of admits enrolling. The early round is binding Early Decision, and it carries real weight in a class this selective.
| Application factor | Northwestern University says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Very important | only 17% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 18% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 14% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Important | only 11% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Important | 37% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Considered | 40% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Considered | 65% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Considered | 45% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
Two minority ratings stand out: class rank is still very important — only 17% of schools say that — and the interview is important, which one school in nine declares. A top rank at a ranking school, and a good conversation with an alum, both do real work here.
The admitted middle 50% runs 740–770 on SAT reading and 770–800 on maths, with 46% of enrolled first-years having submitted an SAT score — a share that describes the class, not the current submission rules.
Cost
The sticker is about $94,103; the average net price after grants is $29,167. Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated need with an average first-year grant of $65,983.
| Family income | Northwestern University | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $1,764 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $6,099 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $7,898 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $18,282 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,777 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
A family earning under $30,000 pays about $1,764 a year. 29% of students borrow, and the median borrower leaves owing $15,000.
The classroom: a seminar school at scale
76% of course sections enrol fewer than 20 students — only UChicago runs a higher share among the schools profiled here — on a 6:1 student–faculty ratio across 9,060 undergraduates. 99% of first-years live on campus, and 13.1% arrive from outside the US.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
Median earnings reach $89,363 ten years after enrolling, students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $99,900 a decade after they started, 98% of first-years return, and 95% graduate within six years.
Frequently asked questions
What is Northwestern’s acceptance rate?
7.7%, computed from its own filed counts: 49,474 applications, 3,806 admitted. 55.3% of those admitted enrolled.
How much does Northwestern actually cost?
An average $29,167 a year after grants, against a sticker of about $94,103. A family earning under $30,000 pays about $1,764; from $75,000 to $110,000, about $18,282.
How small are Northwestern’s classes really?
Among the smallest profiled here — only UChicago runs a higher small-class share: 76% of course sections have fewer than 20 students, on a 6:1 student–faculty ratio.
Does class rank matter at Northwestern?
Unusually, yes — Northwestern rates class rank very important, a weight only 17% of schools declare. If your school ranks and you sit near the top, it counts for more here than at most peers.
Should I apply Early Decision to Northwestern?
Northwestern runs binding Early Decision and rates the personal parts of the file — interviews included — above the national norm. If it is your clear first choice and the net-price numbers work, ED is the strongest signal its process reads; it also binds you before aid offers can be compared.
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