Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois · Private · 9,201 undergraduates · northwestern.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
7.5%
of 52,676 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1520 to 1560
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$103,290Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Northwestern University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
7.5% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 7.5% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$103,290
a year in 2027-28, from a $103,290 sticker price
What to do with your 1540
Send your score
About 33% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1470, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
- Applicants may submit other optional testing (e.g., AP or IB) with or without SAT/ACT; treated as useful but optional.
Source: Standardized Testing Policy: Undergraduate Admissions - Northwestern University · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Oct1Other deadline · October 1, 2026
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan4Regular Decision · January 4, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
7.5%
of applicants were admitted: 3,933 of 52,676 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 20% of early applicants were admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 48% of them sent SAT scores and 25% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1520 to 1560
Reading and Writing 740 to 770
Math 770 to 790
ACT composite 34 to 35
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160098%
- 1200 to 13992%
- 1000 to 11990%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$103,290
a year
- Tuition$74,670
- Fees$1,310
- Food and housing$23,860
- Books and supplies$1,290
- Transportation and other$2,160
Northwestern University published $99,321 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$1,427
- $30,001 to $48,000$7,536
- $48,001 to $75,000$8,811
- $75,001 to $110,000$18,954
- Over $110,000$56,074
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$65,946
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
0.3%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $23,571 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 2/4
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 2/4
- The last day to send aid forms.
- Also asks for
- Parent and Student Tax Forms
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
38 of 38
Earn credit with a score of 3
1 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,470Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 5 | 1 | Art 2XX |
| 3-D Art and Design | 5 | 1 | Art 2XX |
| African American Studies | 5 | 1 | BLK_ST 2XX |
| Art History | 5 | 1 | ART_HIST 2XX |
| Biology | 5 | 1 | BIOL_SCI 1XX |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 1 | Math 220-1 |
| Calculus AB | 5 | 2 | Math 220-1, 2 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 3 | see Mathematics AB |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 2 | Math 220-1,2 |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 3 | Math 220-1,2 & Math 226-0 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 1 | Math 220-1 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 5 | 2 | Math 220-1, 2 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 1 | Chem 1X0 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 4 | Chem 1X0, 1X1, 1X2, and lab courses 11X, 12X |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | Chinese 1LN |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | Chinese 1LN |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 5 | 1 | POLI_SCI 2XX |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 1 | COMP_SCI 150-0 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 1 | COMP_SCI 1XX |
| Drawing | 5 | 1 | ART 2XX |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 2 | English 1LC |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 2 | English 1LT |
| Environmental Science | 5 | 1 | ENVR_SCI 1XX |
| European History | 5 | 2 | HISTORY 2EU |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | French 1LN |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | French 2LN |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | German 1LN |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | German 2LN |
| Human Geography | 5 | 1 | GEOG 1XX |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | Italian 2LN |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | Italian 2LN |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | Japanese 1LN |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | Japanese 1LN |
| Latin | 4 | 1 | Latin 2LN |
| Latin | 5 | 2 | Latin 2LN |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | 1 | ECON 201-0 |
| Microeconomics | 5 | 1 | ECON 202-0 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 1 | GEN_MUS 252-0 |
| Physics 1 | 5 | 1 | Physics 130-1 and 13X-1 |
| Physics 2 | 5 | 1 | Physics 130-2 and 13X-2 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 1 | PHYSICS 135-2 and lab course 136-2 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 1 | Physics 135-2 and 136-2 (for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020) |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 1 | Physics 135-1 and 136-1 |
| Psychology | 5 | 1 | PSYCH 110-0 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | Spanish 2LN |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 2 | Spanish 2LN |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 1 | Spanish 2LT |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 2 | Spanish 2LT |
| Statistics | 4 | 1 | STAT 210-0 |
| United States Government and Politics | 5 | 1 | POLI_SCI 2XX |
| United States History | 5 | 2 | HISTORY 2US |
| World History: Modern | 5 | 2 | HISTORY 2WL |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
96%
Come back for a second year
98%
Typical earnings
$104,255
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Northwestern University$144,639
- All colleges$89,628
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 29 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Northwestern University. The Northwestern University logo is a trademark of the college.