633 Clark Street

Evanston, IL 60208

Phone: (847) 491-3741

Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,405, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Northwestern University’s ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 12. Its tuition and fees are $49,047 (2015-16).

What began as farmland and swampland in the 1850s became the Northwestern campus and the city of Evanston, Ill. 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 fulfill students’ varied interests. Freshmen are guaranteed on-campus housing if requested in their applications. The school’s 11 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 School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 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 $14 million for Chicago-area charities. Notable alumni include the 55th mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel; retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; actor, writer and director Zach Braff; comedian Stephen Colbert; and Tony Award-winning actress Heather Headley.

Northwestern University offers a wide range of academic choices, extensive undergraduate research opportunities and a beautiful campus located on the shore of Lake Michigan just outside of Chicago. With more than 4,000 courses and 190-plus majors, minors, certificates and concentrations, you can plot your own unique Northwestern direction. Northwestern’s six undergraduate schools offer choices in arts and sciences, communication, education and social policy, engineering and applied science, journalism and integrated marketing communications, and music. In addition, Northwestern students may choose from more than 130 study abroad programs in 50 countries. Northwestern’s 8,400 undergraduates are collaborative, innovative, committed to success and to service ??? and friendly. Northwestern is a place where students are not limited or confined to a specific academic discipline, but instead are free to explore their options and create their own path. The University’s 1,200 full-time faculty members include recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, and MacArthur “genius” grant, and other awards and honors. In their ranks are members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and other honorary and professional societies. But they are also dedicated teachers, with many of the top scholars and researchers working side-by-side with undergraduate students. With 77 percent of classes having fewer than 20 students, and Northwestern’s low 7:1 student-faculty ratio, undergraduate students have numerous opportunities to collaborate with faculty in research, as well as receive career advice and assistance from faculty mentors. Northwestern offers a variety of financial aid options to make a Northwestern education accessible to all. From scholarships to work-study programs to low-interest student loans, the University works with each individual student and family to provide the necessary resources, and approximately 60 percent of undergraduate students receive financial assistance. Northwestern provides generous need-based scholarships and grants, and the University’s No-Loan Scholarship program means that qualified students can graduate debt-free. And with 80 percent of Northwestern graduates employed or continuing their education full-time within six months of graduation, a Northwestern degree is an extraordinarily valuable asset in the employment marketplace. Northwestern is located in Evanston, a quintessential college town, with hundreds of restaurants, caf??s and shops a few blocks from the campus. With Chicago next door and free campus shuttle buses going to Northwestern’s downtown campus, Northwestern students can easily take advantage of the music, theatre, museums, sports, and entertainment of a world-class city to enrich their undergraduate experience. In addition, the University’s location means that students can participate in internships, field studies and research opportunities at major corporations and nonprofit organizations in Chicago. Northwestern is a founding member of, and the only private university, in the powerful Big Ten Conference. As a result, Northwestern students get to see some of the best college football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and other sports. A newly expanded recreation center and a new state-of-the-art sailing center on Northwestern’s private beach located on campus provided outstanding fitness and recreational facilities for all students.

Rankings, Scores & Key Indicators

Score – 89
High school counselor score (out of 5) – 4.7
Average freshman retention rate – 97%
Classes with fewer than 20 students – 76.3%
Classes with 50 or more students – 7%
Student-faculty ratio – 7:1
Fall 2014 acceptance rate – 13.1%
6-year graduation rate – 94%