Northwestern University
#9 in National Universities (tie)
Overview
Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,659 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Northwestern University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #9. Its tuition and fees are $65,997.
Northwestern University is a Division I school in the Big Ten athletic conference. Northwestern's women's lacrosse team has won multiple NCAA national championships. The school has hundreds of campus organizations to fulfill students' varied interests. All first-year students are required to live on campus for two years. The school's 10 residential colleges offer thematic living quarters for social and academic programming. Northwestern's main campuses are located along Lake Michigan in Evanston and Chicago. In 2008, Northwestern opened a third branch in Doha, Qatar.
Of Northwestern’s dozen schools, nine offer undergraduate programs and 10 offer graduate and professional programs. Northwestern’s highly-ranked graduate schools include the Kellogg School of Management, the School of Education and Social Policy, the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program. Northwestern’s Medill School is known for its strong journalism graduate program. Northwestern’s Dance Marathon, created in 1975, is one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the country and has raised more than $20 million for Chicago-area charities. Notable alumni include the 55th mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel; retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex; ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon; comedian Stephen Colbert; and president and COO of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell.
Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,659 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Northwestern University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #9. Its tuition and fees are $65,997.
Northwestern University is a Division I school in the Big Ten athletic conference. Northwestern's women's lacrosse team has won multiple NCAA national championships. The school has hundreds of campus organizations to fulfill students' varied interests. All first-year students are required to live on campus for two years. The school's 10 residential colleges offer thematic living quarters for social and academic programming. Northwestern's main campuses are located along Lake Michigan in Evanston and Chicago. In 2008, Northwestern opened a third branch in Doha, Qatar.
Of Northwestern’s dozen schools, nine offer undergraduate programs and 10 offer graduate and professional programs. Northwestern’s highly-ranked graduate schools include the Kellogg School of Management, the School of Education and Social Policy, the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program. Northwestern’s Medill School is known for its strong journalism graduate program. Northwestern’s Dance Marathon, created in 1975, is one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the country and has raised more than $20 million for Chicago-area charities. Notable alumni include the 55th mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel; retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex; ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon; comedian Stephen Colbert; and president and COO of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell.
+ Show More
At-a-Glance
Setting
N/A
Tuition & Fees
$65,997
Undergraduate Enrollment
8,659
Acceptance Rate
7%
2024 Rankings
Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.
My Fit Score
My Fit Custom College Ranking
Does this school fit your college needs? Receive a personalized ranking provided by U.S. News College Compass and find out. Try it now
Admissions
Cost
Tuition & Fees
$65,997
Room & Board
$20,334(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$63,954
$28,230
$28,230
Tuition & Fees
$65,997
Room & Board
$20,334(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$63,954
*Average cost after aid
Academics
87%
7:1
78%
* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
Faculty Research Impact
Bibliometric Rank
6
Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals
72%
Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals
28%
Total Papers published between 2018-2022
43,449
Citations Per Publication
19:1
Pick the Perfect Major
Discover the perfect major for you based on your innate wiring. The Innate Assessment sets you up for success by pairing you with majors, colleges and careers that fit your unique skills and abilities.
Students
8,659
Graduate Enrollment
14,073
Total Enrollment
22,732
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
8,526
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
49%
Minority Enrollment
49%
Minority Enrollment
37%
White
21%
Asian
14%
Hispanic
11%
International
7%
Black
7%
Two or more races
3%
Unknown
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
101+
Sports Teams
16
Fraternities
15
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
87%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
29%
Average Debt at Graduation
$34,309
$66,776
$66,776
Graduation Rate
87%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
29%
Average Debt at Graduation
$34,309
Schools You Might Also Like
Reviews & Ratings
See reviews and ratings of this school from students, alumni, staff and others. These reviews are not written by U.S. News and have no impact on any of the Best Colleges rankings. Read an explanation of user ratings.
Read More
Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
More from This School
More from This School
My Fit Score
My Fit Custom College Ranking
Does this school fit your college needs? Receive a personalized ranking provided by U.S. News College Compass and find out. Try it now
Top Schools in Illinois
You can compare up to 25 schools at a time. Please remove a school before adding another.