Northwestern College
Orange City, Iowa · Private Nonprofit · 80.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 45/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa scores 45 (Below Average Value), with a 16.5-year payback period, $36,100 average 6-year earnings, and a net price of $25,907 against a $36,710 sticker tuition. The debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.644. The standout positive is the 94.5% repayment rate, indicating that graduates who do borrow are actively paying it back, a reflection of institutional culture. The completion rate of 66.1% is acceptable. The program mix is narrow: nursing, business, and teacher education are the only programs with meaningful earnings data. Total cost over four years is $103,628.
How Northwestern College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- Payback period16.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Northwestern College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,710/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,710/yr |
| Average net price | $25,907/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $103,628 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,802 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,249 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,175 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $36,710/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $25,907/year, or roughly $103,628 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $27,059/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,539/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,249, which works out to about $246 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,100) and comes to 0.64, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $27,059 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,503 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,572 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,265 |
| $110,001+ | $29,539 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $27,059 net price per year - a high figure that exceeds the $19,503 figure for the $30,001-$48,000 band, an unusual inversion. This suggests aid may be structured in a way that punishes the lowest-income families relative to lower-middle-income. Against $36,100 average 6-year earnings, low-income students at Northwestern face a severe financial challenge.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $20,572 per year - the most affordable band. Families in the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pay $24,265. The jump from the $30,001-$48,000 band to higher income bands is moderate. At $20,572 per year, the 16.5-year payback is still very long for non-nursing graduates.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $29,539 per year - roughly $118,000 over four years. Against $36,100 average 6-year earnings, full-pay at Northwestern is a poor financial return except for nursing graduates. Families paying full price are subsidizing the institutional mission beyond any personal financial return.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Northwestern College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $68,565 | C+ |
| Teacher Education | $47,640 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $51,829 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $71,322 | B |
| Accounting | $59,192 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing (19 graduates) earns $71,479 year-one and $71,322 at year four - essentially flat, likely a small-sample anomaly - with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.378 (ROI grade B). Nursing is clearly Northwestern's most defensible program by ROI. Iowa's healthcare labor market provides placement for graduates, and the B grade reflects adequate earnings against manageable debt.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (58 graduates) earns $48,515 year-one and $68,565 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.479 (ROI grade C+). At a $25,907 net price, the return is narrow.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education (43 graduates) earns $42,441 year-one and $47,640 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.612 (ROI grade C). At Northwestern's net price, teacher education students carry debt that represents 61% of a year's income.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 93.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 94.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 87.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 92.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Northwestern College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 80.4% |
| Enrollment | 1,175 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,580 |
Northwestern's 80.4% admission rate and no test score data reflect an open-access model. The school competes for students who prioritize faith community and liberal arts values. Financial selectivity is the primary enrollment barrier, not academic selectivity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The 94.5% repayment rate is the most distinctive data point. The 45 ROI score reflects the fundamental tension between a $25,907 net price and $36,100 average earnings.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern College (this school) | 45 | $25,907 | $49,802 |
| Georgian Court University | 47 | $19,285 | $53,096 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Nichols College | 45 | $33,036 | $58,063 |
| Concordia University-Nebraska | 45 | $23,965 | $52,415 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
Who Thrives Here
Northwestern admits 80.4% of applicants with no published test data. At 1,175 students it is a small Reformed Christian college in a rural Iowa community. Students drawn by religious identity and community fit may find the environment valuable in ways the earnings data doesn't capture, but on purely financial grounds the outcomes are weak. Nursing is the only program with a B-grade ROI, and it is the institution's primary financial anchor.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Northwestern College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $25,907 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $49,802 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 16.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,249 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Northwestern College: Common Questions
Is Northwestern College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Northwestern College scores 45/100 on our ROI scale. At $25,907 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $49,802 ten years after entry, so it takes about 16.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Northwestern College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $25,907 a year, or roughly $103,628 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Northwestern College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,802 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,002 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Northwestern College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 16.5 years for Northwestern College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Northwestern College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,249, against average earnings of $36,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Northwestern College?
The six-year graduation rate is 66.0%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.