Northwestern acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Northwestern University · Private nonprofit · Evanston, IL · 9,157 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Northwestern admitted 7.2% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 15.3% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $70,589 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15.3% | 32,060 | 4,912 |
| 2014 | 13.1% | 33,674 | 4,416 |
| 2015 | 13.0% | 32,122 | 4,190 |
| 2016 | 10.7% | 35,100 | 3,743 |
| 2017 | 9.2% | 37,259 | 3,442 |
| 2018 | 8.5% | 40,425 | 3,422 |
| 2019 | 9.1% | 40,585 | 3,673 |
| 2020 | 9.3% | 39,263 | 3,654 |
| 2021 | 7.0% | 47,636 | 3,321 |
| 2022 | 7.2% | 51,261 | 3,695 |
| 2023 | 7.2% | 51,769 | 3,703 |
Applications went from 32,060 in fall 2013 to 51,769 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $1,427 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,536 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,811 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,954 |
| Over $110,000 | $56,074 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $70,589 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $94,854 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $34,420 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 50% submitted the SAT, 29% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago IL | 4.8% | $73,962 same for all |
| DePaul IL | 73.5% | $47,676 same for all |
| Loyola Chicago IL | 81.4% | $56,060 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Northwestern admitted 7.2% of applicants for fall 2023, unchanged from fall 2022.1 In fall 2013 the rate was 15.3%, which makes the drop over the decade 8.1 percentage points.1 Most of the decline happened by fall 2018, when the rate reached 8.5%, and it went down in 6 of the 10 annual changes overall.1 Applications grew 61% to 51,769, with 3,703 admitted for fall 2023, down from 4,912 for fall 2013.1
It was test-optional for fall 2023; SAT submitters in the middle 50% scored 760 to 790 in math.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $70,589, against a $38,325 median at the 48 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges in Illinois.2 Aided families earning $0 to $30,000 paid an average net price of $1,427 in 2024-25, a small fraction of the sticker price.2 The average was $8,811 for families earning $48,001 to $75,000 and $56,074 for families earning over $110,000.2
Northwestern graduated 96% of the students who started in 2019 within 6 years, and its former students earn a median $104,255 a year 10 years after entering.2 Graduates who took federal loans owe a median $17,017.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 51,769 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 3,703 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | Not reported | Not reported |
| Undergraduates | 9,157 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 790 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 50% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 29% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $70,589 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $94,854 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $34,420 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $1,427 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,536 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,811 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,954 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $56,074 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 96% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 21% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $104,255 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $17,017 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Illinois (N = 48) | $38,325 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Northwestern, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page