Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 7.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 94/100 · Exceptional Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Northwestern sits in Evanston, Illinois, a 10-minute train ride from Chicago. Its ROI score is 94 - Exceptional Value - driven by a 95.1% completion rate, $89,363 median 10-year earnings, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.209. Tuition sticker is $68,322, but the net price after aid averages $29,167. The payback period is 4.7 years. Top earning programs include Information Science ($163,740 at 10 years) and Computer Science ($155,106). The school's location in a major media and financial center means strong internship pipelines for Medill journalism and communication students, though those programs show lower earnings relative to STEM.
The median graduate earns $89,363 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Northwestern University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $68,322/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $68,322/yr |
| Average net price | $29,167/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $116,668 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $89,363 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $71,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $159 |
| Estimated payback period | 4.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 95.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 9,201 |
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: $68,322/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $29,167/year, or roughly $116,668 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 $1,764/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $48,777/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $15,000, which works out to about $159 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($71,900) and comes to 0.21, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $1,764 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $6,099 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $7,898 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,282 |
| $110,001+ | $48,777 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay a net price of just $1,764 per year - essentially free. Northwestern's need-blind admissions and generous endowment mean low-income students who gain admission pay almost nothing. Over four years, total cost is under $7,100.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families in the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pay $6,099 per year; those in the $48,001-$75,000 range pay $7,898. Cost stays remarkably flat for families in this income range - a sign of generous institutional aid. At the upper middle-income range ($75,001-$110,000), annual cost jumps to $18,282, which over four years totals about $73,000 - still substantially less than the $274,000 sticker price.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $48,777 per year - close to sticker for the highest earners. Over four years, that's roughly $195,000. Against median 10-year earnings of $89,363, the investment is defensible but requires careful program selection. Engineering and economics graduates will clear this investment quickly; communication and theater graduates will not.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Northwestern University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $126,006 | A |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $51,471 | C |
| Psychology | $73,646 | B+ |
| Biology | $71,181 | A |
| Computer Science | $155,106 | A |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $54,279 | C+ |
| International Relations | $73,231 | B+ |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $49,316 | D |
| Information Science | $163,740 | A |
| Communication and Media Studies | $93,541 | B+ |
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.
Information Science
88 graduates with 1-year earnings of $102,998 and 4-year earnings of $163,740 - the top-earning program at Northwestern. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.117 (grade: A) reflects unusually low debt relative to earnings. Information science graduates move into data analytics, product management, and systems architecture roles. Chicago's financial technology sector, healthcare analytics companies, and the city's growing tech scene absorb these graduates. The program benefits from Northwestern's Kellogg-adjacent business curriculum, which adds business fluency that pure computer science programs often lack.
Computer Science
127 graduates with 1-year earnings of $99,981 and 4-year earnings of $155,106. Debt-to-earnings 0.146 (grade: A). Northwestern CS graduates enter software engineering roles at technology firms, financial services companies, and consulting practices that increasingly require coding literacy. The school's proximity to Chicago's booming tech corridor - including major employers in fintech, healthcare IT, and logistics technology - amplifies placement.
Economics
373 graduates - the largest program by headcount - with 1-year earnings of $84,932 and 4-year earnings of $126,006. Debt-to-earnings 0.191 (grade: A). Northwestern economics graduates flow heavily into consulting (McKinsey, BCG, Bain all recruit here), investment banking, and economic research. The Kellogg School's proximity and the Chicago economic tradition both reinforce the major's rigor. For non-technical students, economics is the highest-ROI path available at Northwestern, and the data reflects it.
Industrial Engineering
62 graduates with 1-year earnings of $89,811 and 4-year earnings of $138,720. Debt-to-earnings 0.199 (grade: A). Industrial engineering at Northwestern focuses on operations research and systems optimization - skills in high demand from logistics companies, healthcare systems, and manufacturing firms. McCormick School of Engineering's reputation draws recruiters from companies that value quantitative problem-solving over pure software development. This is a smaller program but produces strong per-graduate outcomes.
Communication and Media Studies
82 graduates with 1-year earnings of $52,210 and 4-year earnings of $93,541. Debt-to-earnings 0.347 (grade: B+). Entry-level earnings in the low $50s are typical for agency and media roles, but 4-year earnings above $90,000 show strong upward mobility.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 89.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 91.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 89.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 90.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Northwestern University’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 | 7.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 770-800 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 740-770 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 33-35 |
| Enrollment | 9,201 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 18.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $20,322 |
Northwestern admitted just 7.7% of applicants. SAT math ranges 770-800, reading 740-770; ACT composite 33-35. The admit rate signals that most qualified applicants will be rejected. Apply with safety schools in hand. The school uses holistic review with strong emphasis on demonstrated interest and intellectual depth.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Northwestern's net price for low-income students is $1,764. Northwestern's 0.209 debt-to-earnings ratio is excellent for a private school, and its 95.1% completion rate signals that students who enroll actually graduate.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University (this school) | 94 | $29,167 | $89,363 |
| University of Notre Dame | 97 | $26,780 | $99,980 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 97 | $28,699 | $111,371 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 96 | $21,590 | $102,491 |
| Augustana College | 67 | $22,736 | $62,971 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 21 | $49,790 | $40,151 |
Who Thrives Here
Northwestern draws students with ACT 33-35 or SAT 1510-1570 combined - a competitive profile. Students who thrive here tend to combine academic seriousness with career intentionality. Northwestern rewards students who network aggressively: Chicago's finance, consulting, and tech employers conduct heavy on-campus recruiting. Theatre and radio-TV programs enroll students who understand these paths have long financial runways before earnings recover.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
If you're asking whether Northwestern University is worth it, the short answer is yes - it's one of the strongest money decisions in higher education. Four years here run about $116,668 after aid, and the typical graduate earns $89,363 ten years out. That earnings head start covers the cost in roughly 4.7 years, well ahead of most schools.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 95.1% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings, high loan repayment success.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $15,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $71,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
Northwestern University: Common Questions
Is Northwestern University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Northwestern University pays off. It scores 94/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $29,167 a year after aid ($116,668 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $89,363 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 4.7 years to earn back.
How much does Northwestern University 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 $29,167 a year, or roughly $116,668 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 University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $89,363 ten years after enrolling, roughly $47,563 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 University?
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 4.7 years for Northwestern University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Northwestern University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $15,000, against average earnings of $71,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21. In our view that is very manageable: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
What is the graduation rate at Northwestern University?
The six-year graduation rate is 95.1%, 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.