Evanston, IL · private · 9,201 undergraduates
Northwestern University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
Northwestern admitted 7.47% of all applicants for fall 2025 but about one in five in Early Decision.
Net price per year at Northwestern
$18,282
Reach · admit rate 7.47%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 7.47% (1 in 13) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,520 to 1,560 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $99,375 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $18,282 |
| Share of the sticker price | 18% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Northwestern net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Northwestern University Common Data Set 2025-2026, C1 (25,258 men + 27,390 women + 28 unknown applied; 1,828 + 2,105 admitted; 1,000 + 1,139 enrolled) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 7.47%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,520 to 1,560
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $99,375
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $7,898
Northwestern University admitted 3,933 of 52,676 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 7.47%, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026, and 2,139 enrolled. The overall figure hides a wide gap: about one Early Decision applicant in five was admitted, against a far lower rate in the regular round, and Early Decision supplied close to a third of all offers. Testing stays optional for fall 2027 applicants; 48% of the class sent an SAT, with a middle 50% of 1,520 to 1,560. The 2026-27 cost of attendance is $99,375 before transportation. Aid is strictly need-based and loan-free, and most families earning under $150,000 attend tuition-free; in 2023-24, aided families between $48,001 and $75,000 paid an average of $7,898.
Early Decision versus the regular round
Northwestern published the counts behind its Early Decision round, which few universities do: 1,212 admits out of 5,939 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025. The regular round, by subtraction, admitted roughly one applicant in seventeen. There is a single binding round on November 1, with decisions in mid-December, and no Early Action or second Early Decision. For a student whose first choice is clearly Northwestern, the difference in odds is large; for one who must compare aid offers, Northwestern's loan-free need-based aid makes the binding commitment less risky than at schools that rely on loans.
Northwestern: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
50%
| Middle 50% | 1,520 to 1,560 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,026 SAT submitters, 533 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
Loan-free, need-based, tuition-free under $150,000
Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated need with grants, scholarships and work-study, without loans, and gives no merit aid. Most families earning under $150,000 a year attend tuition-free. The federal net prices for 2023-24 reflect that policy: $1,764 under $30,000, $6,099 between $30,001 and $48,000, and $18,282 between $75,001 and $110,000. Above $110,000 the average rose to $48,777, because that band includes many families with no need at all.
Northwestern: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$7,898
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 9% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
Applying to a school, not only to the university
Applicants to Northwestern choose an undergraduate school, from Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences to the McCormick engineering school, Medill for journalism, Bienen for music, Communication or Education and Social Policy. Each reads its own applicants, and a few programs ask for an audition, a portfolio or an extra essay. The overall admit rate mixes all of them, so a student applying to one of the smaller schools should read its specific requirements on the admissions site before deciding which round to use.
A quarter system and its budget
Northwestern bills tuition by the quarter, three quarters a year, for a 2026-27 tuition of $71,802, and housing and food of $22,941. The waiting list moved for fall 2025, with 167 students admitted from it. Families comparing Chicago-area options will look at UChicago, whose free-tuition line sits higher, and at Illinois for an in-state public price; the comparison tool handles residency.
From Northwestern University’s own documents
- Early Decision admitted 1,212 of 5,939 applicants for fall 2025 (about 20%), against 3,933 of 52,676 overall (about 7.5%); ED admits were about 31% of all admits. source
- Northwestern has a single binding Early Decision round (November 1) and Regular Decision (January 4); there is no Early Action and no Early Decision II. source
- Most families earning under $150,000 a year attend tuition-free, and need is met without loans. source
- The 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance is $99,375 before transportation, with tuition of $71,802 billed by the quarter. source
- Testing stays optional for fall 2027 applicants; 48% of fall 2025 entrants submitted the SAT (middle 50% 1520-1560). source
- 167 students were admitted from the waiting list for fall 2025. source
Net price at Northwestern University by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $1,764 | 2% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $6,099 | 7% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $7,898 | 9% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $18,282 | 20% |
| $110,001 and up | $48,777 | 53% |
| All aided students | $29,167 | 32% |
Cost of attendance at Northwestern University, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $71,802 | |
| Fees | $1,260 | |
| Housing and food | $22,941 | |
| Books and supplies | $1,239 | |
| Personal | $2,079 | |
| Total | $99,375 |
Northwestern University admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 52,676 | 3,933 | 2,139 | 7.47% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 7.69% |
SAT and ACT scores at Northwestern University
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,026 SAT submitters, 533 ACT submitters)) | 1,520 | 1,540 | 1,560 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,026 SAT submitters, 533 ACT submitters))) | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 740 + 770 | n/a | 770 + 800 |
Outcomes at Northwestern University
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 95% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 98% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $89,363 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $15,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 9,201 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 19% | 2023-24 |