Northwestern University

Image: vxla from Chicago, US, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Northwestern University is an elite research university in Evanston, IL. Located close to Chicago, Northwestern touts its diversity, innovation, and teaching. Like other elite research universities, they have strong STEM programs; however, Digital Communication and Media, Speech Communication and Rhetoric, and Drama are also popular. Note that Northwestern has many more graduate students than undergraduates.

Affordability: Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated need without student loans. Theoretically, Northwestern is affordable for any student admitted. However, they do not offer merit aid. Higher income students will pay full price, which is high. According to NCES data, most students do not take out loans (23% of freshman borrowed, on average, $7,393 in 2020-21).

Rankings:

#10 national research universities, U.S. News
#13 colleges and universities, CollegeSimply
#14 best colleges and universities, Niche

Popular Majors:

Econometrics
Digital Communication and Media
Computer Science
Psychology
Biology
Neuroscience
Drama
Speech Communication and Rhetoric

Students, Admissions, enrollment, graduation rates

8,847 undergraduate students; 14,562 graduate students
7% acceptance rate
63% enrolled
95% graduation rate