Northwestern University

Overview

Northwestern University sits in Evanston, Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan and a few miles from Chicago. Founded in 1851, it enrolled 9,039 undergraduates in fall 2025, with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a 96% six-year graduation rate for students who entered in fall 2019. The Class of 2029 comes from 48 states and more than 80 countries and from over 1,400 secondary schools; roughly 6% applied as undecided. The university runs on the quarter system, with three terms in the academic year.

Two kinds of families tend to fit. In the first, the student already has a clear professional direction, such as journalism, communication, theatre, music, or engineering, because Northwestern admits students into six undergraduate schools and the specialized schools start their training in the first year. In the second, the student’s interests are broad and they want to combine fields; Northwestern reports that about three quarters of undergraduates combine two or more areas of study. For Irvine families, the first question is whether to commit through binding Early Decision and how that fits with the University of California application; the last section of this page lays out a plan by grade.

Admissions data

7.5%Class of 2029 admit rate

1. Applied52,676
2. Admitted3,933
3. Enrolled2,139

• Submitted SAT48%
• Submitted ACT25%

The two groups overlap. Middle-50% ranges among submitters: SAT 1520 to 1560, ACT 34 to 35.

• Pell Grant recipients22%
• First-generation college students15%
• International students12%

The Pell Grant is federal aid for students from lower-income families.

Early Decision carries real weight. For the Class of 2029, ED drew 5,939 applications and admitted 1,212 students; Northwestern says about half of each class is admitted through ED and that the ED admit rate is typically higher than the RD rate.

How to apply

Northwestern accepts the Common Application and the Coalition with Scoir application, and it is a QuestBridge partner. The application fee is $75, and fee waivers are available. For the 2026-27 cycle Northwestern no longer requires the Common Application personal essay. Instead, every Common App and Coalition applicant answers one required question of 300 words or fewer on how their background shapes the way they would engage with the Northwestern community, and may answer one or two of five optional questions in under 200 words each. Two recommendations are required: one from the high school counselor and one from a teacher, ideally in a core subject during junior or senior year. Bienen School of Music applicants also submit the Bienen supplement, prescreening or portfolio materials, and a music teacher recommendation. The Integrated Science Program (ISP) and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) have separate applications, and both expect a year of high school calculus.

Testing remains optional in the 2026-27 cycle. Northwestern says it reviews every applicant holistically, with or without scores, through grades, course rigor, recommendations, and writing, and it does not require or recommend additional materials from students who apply without scores. There is no preference between the SAT and ACT, scores may be self-reported, and enrolling students send official scores later. The SAT is superscored across test dates; for the ACT, applicants report the official superscore from their MyACT account rather than calculating their own. International applicants whose first language is not English and whose schooling was not in English must send official TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores.

Northwestern no longer offers alumni interviews. Applicants from US high schools may record an optional 60- to 90-second Glimpse video, and applicants from international high schools may complete an optional InitialView interview; neither is required, and skipping them is no disadvantage. The ’Cat Chats program connects prospective students one-on-one with alumni, but it is a way to learn about the university, not an interview.

Admission is need-blind for domestic applicants, meaning a family’s finances do not factor into the decision. For international students it is need-aware: whether a student requests aid, and how much, may affect the outcome. Students still in the process of obtaining US permanent residency are also reviewed need-aware.

Cost and financial aid

2026-27$96,003billed total

• Tuition$71,802
• Fees$1,260
• Housing and meals$22,941

What a family actually pays, by income

1. Under $70,000$0Most families pay nothing
2. Above $70,000Assessed on need; aid is grants and scholarships only, no loans

Northwestern meets 100% of each student’s demonstrated need entirely with scholarships and grants that do not have to be repaid, a no-loan policy in place since 2016-17. More than 55% of students receive aid from Northwestern, and the university awarded $250 million in scholarships in 2024-25. Aid is need-based only, and an admitted student’s package is the same whether they applied ED or RD. In May 2026 the university launched the Forever Shine campaign, which aims to let most families earning under $150,000 attend tuition-free and most families under $70,000 attend at no cost; the $150,000 tier is still a fundraising goal, not a policy in effect. Only a small group of first-year international students receive need-based aid each year, and international students must apply for aid in their first year to be considered later.

Schools and fields of study

Northwestern has six undergraduate schools: the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, the School of Education and Social Policy, the Bienen School of Music, and the School of Communication. Each applicant chooses one. Northwestern states that all six use the same review criteria and that no school offers a strategic advantage, and it recommends applying to the school that houses the intended major.

Northwestern also offers adjunct majors such as African Studies, Global Health Studies, and International Studies, along with many minors and certificates. Undecided students can start in Weinberg, McCormick, or the School of Education and Social Policy and have until the end of sophomore year to declare a major. The schools are not restrictive: taking classes in another school, or adding a second major or a minor there, is common. Students in the five specialized schools may add a second major in Weinberg, although a double major between two specialized schools is allowed only in rare cases. A double major usually finishes in four years. A dual degree meets the full requirements of two degrees and typically takes five years; a student in the Bienen dual-degree program, for example, graduates with both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music.

Engineering preparation is more specific. McCormick recommends 3.5 to 4 years of high school mathematics, with calculus where available, and at least three years of laboratory science, preferably chemistry and physics. The other schools set a minimum of 16 full-year courses, including at least three years of mathematics, two of laboratory science, and two of one foreign language. For ISP applicants, Northwestern recommends four years of mathematics including calculus and four years of science including chemistry and physics, and it highly recommends AP Physics and AP Chemistry.

Campus life

All incoming first-year students must live on campus for their first two years; students who leave for university-sponsored internships or study abroad complete the requirement when they return. Northwestern has 26 campus residences, divided into residence halls, residential colleges, and special-interest communities. Residential colleges are organized around themes such as the humanities, commerce and industry, science and engineering, public affairs, international studies, and communications. There are four residential dining commons, and more than 500 student clubs and activities.

A timeline for Irvine families

The five Irvine Unified high schools differ in when AP courses open, how weighting works, and how the math sequence accelerates. A student aiming at McCormick or ISP needs to reach calculus and complete chemistry and physics in high school. School-by-school rules are in the IUSD high school guides.

1. Grade 9Set the path, protect grades
   • Settle the math and science sequence, planning toward calculus for engineering
   • Protect core grades
   • Choose one or two activities that can run four years
2. Grade 10First AP courses
   • Take the first AP courses the school allows
   • Turn activities into visible output
   • Check school-specific requirements, such as music portfolio preparation
3. Grade 11Decide whether to submit scores
   • SAT or ACT in spring and before summer; dates on the test calendar
   • Decide whether to submit, since Northwestern is test-optional
   • Choose the core-subject teacher who will write the recommendation
4. Fall of grade 12Decide on ED
   • ED: application by November 1, aid materials by December 1
   • Prepare the UC application in the same window
   • Otherwise Regular Decision by January 4, 2027

Dates and registration deadlines are on the 2026-27 test calendar, and preparation options are on the SAT page.

How EDUBUS helps

EDUBUS college planning runs year by year from grade 9: a four-year course plan built around the rules of each Irvine high school, a testing schedule and a decision on whether to submit scores, a clear activities direction, and in grade 12 a counselor review of the activity chart, the required supplement, and the optional essays, together with advice on whether binding Early Decision is the right call. Preparing the CSS Profile and FAFSA for financial aid is part of the service. To see where a student stands relative to schools like Northwestern, start with a free assessment.