Northwestern University

Summary

Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,536, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Northwestern University's ranking in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 12. Its tuition and fees are $40,247 (2010-11).

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 approximately 250 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 nearly $9 million for Chicago-area charities. Notable alumni include President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; actor, writer and director Zach Braff; comedian Stephen Colbert; and Tony Award-winning actress Heather Headley.

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School mission (as provided by the school):

Northwestern University offers unusual flexibility combined with a wide choice of academic concentrations. In addition to over seventy established majors,... Read More

Applying

When applying to Northwestern University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 15. The application fee at Northwestern University is $65. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 27.1 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2009 acceptance rate	27%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	January 15

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Northwestern University is 7:1, and the school has 73.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Northwestern University include: Communication, journalism, and related programs; Economics; Engineering; Psychology; and Visual and performing arts. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96.8 percent.

Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio	7:1
4-year graduation rate	87% - High
Five most popular majors for 2009 graduates
Communication, journalism, and related programs 16% Economics 11% Engineering 15% Psychology 9% Visual and performing arts 10%

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Student Life

Northwestern University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,536, with a gender distribution of 48.0 percent male students and 52.0 percent female students. Northwestern University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at Northwestern University.

Total enrollment	18,834
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity	N/A
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority	N/A
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

Northwestern University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Northwestern University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Northwestern University.

Students who have cars on campus	N/A
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At Northwestern University, 43.3 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $26,817.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Tuition and fees	$40,247 (2010-11)
Room and board	$12,240 (2010-11) - High
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

One of Northwestern's very best features, apart from its outstanding academics, is its campus and location. The campus is large, spacious, and perfectly groomed in the spring and summer (but watch out for the atrocious winters!), and the administration has even filled in a mile-long stretch of Lake Michigan and created "The Lakefill," an island park of sorts complete with soccer fields, walking trails, and incredible views of downtown Chicago across the lake. Additionally, the rest of Evanston is a boon for students. Filled with an astoundingly varied set of restaurants and bars, Evanston offers... Read More

Jacob Junior

A great thing about Northwestern is its size. I feel like I am always seeing people I know, but it never feels confining. Another thing about Northwestern is that while it is a good academic school, its name doesn't have the same cache as the Ivies or Stanford, Duke etc. When I tell someone I go to Northwestern, there is a strong chance they haven't heard of it, and many of my classmates report similar experiences, especially those from the East Coast or the South. I don't see this as a positive or a negative quality. In a typical day, I'm liable to bounce all over campus, hitting classes,... Read More

Danny Sophomore

Evanston is definitely one of the greatest assets about Northwestern. Though the suburb is a bit snooty, it has a large variety of fantastic ethnic restaurants and an excellent survey of stores that you don't have to travel to Chicago for. CVS and Whole Foods are the closest grocery stores because Jewel-Osco is a bit of a hike away, which can be a pain, but CVS has many of the typical student grocery items needed. The El is also a very convenient and close connection that can take you to Chicago in only about 30-45 minutes, depending on where you want to go. Most students tend not to take advantage...