10-yr median earnings
$89,363
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Evanston, Illinois
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private nonprofit institution in Evanston, Illinois. Former students earn a median of $89,363 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $29,167/yr — as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $89,363
- 10-yr median earnings
- 7.7%
- Acceptance rate
- $29,167
- Avg net price / yr
- 95.5%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Northwestern University pairs top-5% former-student earnings with a highly selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 2%
- former-student earnings, US
- 7.7%
- acceptance rate
- 95.5%
- 150%-time completion
- +16%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: R1
Northwestern University is a private nonprofit institution in Evanston, Illinois enrolling 9,201 undergraduates, using College Scorecard institution data retrieved in July 2026. The acceptance rate is 7.7% with an average SAT of 1,533. Federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $89,363 ten years after entry. Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort is $29,167. This profile combines source fields with separately labeled PlainCollege comparisons and derived metrics.
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Northwestern University
Northwestern University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Evanston, Illinois (city: small), with a reported undergraduate enrollment of 9,201 students. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; Northwestern University is categorized as "Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.
Admissions and cost fields are IPEDS-derived values published through the Scorecard and retain their source reporting periods. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; the income-band fields provide more context but still do not replace an institution's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-derived records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year; the entry cohort includes completers and noncompleters. IPEDS completion and retention rates use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so their denominator is not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not as a causal verdict or an individual forecast.
College Value Score
B
College Value Score
74/100
Northwestern University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$89,363
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$29,167
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
95.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt D
$15,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
91.3%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
98.1%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$29,167
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
95.5%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 95.5%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Northwestern University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Northwestern University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Northwestern University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$89,363 Top 2% higher than 98% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Northwestern University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $89,363 | #109 of 5103 | 98th |
| Average net price | $29,167 | #4402 of 5020 | 12th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 95.5% | #58 of 4858 | 99th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 9,201 | #386 of 5462 | 93rd |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
9,201
Undergraduate enrollment
7.7%
Acceptance rate
1,533
SAT average
95.5%
150%-time completion
$89,363
10-yr median earnings
98.1%
First-year retention
How Northwestern University ranks in Illinois
State rank among 189 reporting Illinois colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Northwestern University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $89,363 | #3 of 189 | 98th |
| Average net price | $29,167 | #171 of 179 | 4th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 95.5% | #2 of 171 | 99th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 9,201 | #13 of 201 | 94th |
Highest former-student earnings in Illinois
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois | $92,405 | $31,837 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | $91,885 | $14,860 |
| 3 | Northwestern UniversityThis school | $89,363 | $29,167 |
| 4 | St. John's College | $86,331 | - |
| 5 | Lakeview College of Nursing | $84,522 | - |
| 6 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $82,592 | $18,425 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $81,054 | $14,355 |
| 8 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | $77,709 | - |
| 9 | Rush University | $75,194 | - |
| 10 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | $72,850 | - |
| 11 | Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $72,430 | - |
| 12 | Loyola University Chicago | $71,530 | $36,079 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 7.7% |
| SAT Average | 1,533 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 770 – 800 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 740 – 770 |
| ACT Average | 35 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 33 – 35 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Northwestern University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $1,764
$0 – $30k
$1,764 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $6,099
$30k – $48k
$6,099 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k $7,898
$48k – $75k
$7,898 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$48,777 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Northwestern University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $68,322 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $68,322 |
| Average Net Price | $29,167 |
18.6%
Pell Grant Rate
17.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$15,000
Median Debt
$159/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Northwestern University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $23,279 to $28,544 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -4.9%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$23,279
Highest year
$28,544
Most recent (2023)
$27,143
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $28,5442023 · $27,143
Over the same years, enrollment went +1.2% (8,855 → 8,960 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
52.4%
Female
15.2%
First Generation
Outcomes
95.5%
150%-Time Completion
98.1%
Retention Rate
$76,844
Median Earnings (6yr)
$89,363
Median Earnings (10yr)
84.8%
Earning Over $25K
91.3%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 95.5% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 98.1% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $76,844 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $89,363 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 84.8% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 91.3% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $15,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $159/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 41 | 2,493 | $91,709 | $163,740 | $16,083 |
| Master's | 37 | 4,259 | $121,071 | $244,399 | $74,333 |
| Doctoral | 8 | 194 | $88,026 | $117,797 | $115,796 |
| First Professional | 3 | 444 | $180,242 | $291,132 | $143,932 |
| Post-baccalaureate Certificate | 1 | 0 | $100,964 | $100,964 | - |
Top programs at Northwestern University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Law
Law
$291,132 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$244,399 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$240,637 median earnings
- Engineering, Other
Engineering, Other
$211,469 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$197,823 median earnings
- Medical Clinical Sciences/…
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies
$189,578 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$180,186 median earnings
- Community Organization and…
Community Organization and Advocacy
$168,632 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law | First Professional | 290 | $291,132 | $154,286 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 347 | $244,399 | $172,164 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's | 112 | $240,637 | $76,735 |
| Engineering, Other | Master's | 101 | $211,469 | $64,256 |
| Computer Science | Master's | 96 | $197,823 | - |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's | 27 | $189,578 | $81,076 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's | 1,665 | $180,186 | $42,454 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Master's | 0 | $168,632 | $69,011 |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's | 78 | $163,740 | $11,425 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | First Professional | - | $155,436 | $75,943 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 102 | $155,106 | $14,646 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's | 34 | $148,740 | - |
| Information Science/Studies | Master's | 50 | $141,026 | $39,844 |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's | 55 | $138,720 | $18,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Master's | 36 | $136,480 | - |
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Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Northwestern University? ▼
Northwestern University is a private nonprofit institution in Evanston, Illinois. The acceptance rate is 7.7%. The average SAT score is 1,533. Undergraduate enrollment is 9,201 students.
How much do Northwestern University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Northwestern University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $89,363 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $76,844.
How much does Northwestern University cost? ▼
The average net price at Northwestern University is $29,167. In-state tuition is $68,322 and out-of-state tuition is $68,322. Median student debt at graduation is $15,000.
What is the graduation rate at Northwestern University? ▼
Northwestern University has a 95.5% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 98.1%.
Is Northwestern University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Northwestern University is $15,000, while former students earn a median of $89,363 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 17% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 91.3% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $159.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
What this means for Northwestern University
- Northwestern University's reported 10-year former-student earnings land in the 98th percentile among reporting colleges.
- The average net price after aid is $29,167 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
- See how this school compares to every other college in Illinois.Browse Illinois
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.