Northwestern University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Northwestern University is a private nonprofit college in Evanston, IL. Students pay about $29,167 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $89,363 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.1 years and adds $294,962 over a decade, ranking it #41 of 918 (top 5%) by value added.
What is Northwestern University's acceptance rate?
Northwestern University has an acceptance rate of 7.7%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Evanston, IL enrolling about 9,201 students, with a 95.5% graduation rate.
How much does Northwestern University cost?
Northwestern University costs about $29,167 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $131,668. Published sticker cost of attendance is $91,250 per year.
How much do Northwestern University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Northwestern University student earns $89,363 per year. That is $42,663 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Northwestern University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Northwestern University pays back its roughly $131,668 cost in about 3.1 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $294,962 net of cost, a 3.24x return on the money invested. That ranks it #41 of 918 (top 5%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Northwestern University graduation rate and student debt
95.5% of Northwestern University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $15,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 17% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Northwestern University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Northwestern University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $29,167 | $20,299 | cheaper than 19% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $89,363 | $54,768 | 95th |
| Graduation rate | 95.5% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 7.7% | 75.7% | more selective than 98% |
| 10-yr value added | $294,962 | -$28,192 | 96th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.24x | 0.73x | 92th |
| Payback period | 3.1 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 90% |
Frequently asked
Is Northwestern University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Northwestern University ranks #41 of 918 (top 5%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.24x the money invested over a decade.
Is Northwestern University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $29,167 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 19% of them.
Do Northwestern University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $89,363 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 95% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Northwestern University compared to other colleges?
Its 7.7% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 98% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.