Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · “Northwestern”
- National University
- Private
- Urban campus
- Cold climate
Known for: Social Sciences, Communication/Journalism, Engineering
A private research university in Evanston, IL. About 8 of every 100 applicants get in. It gives need-based aid to international students.
If you apply from Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar → Evanston
- Early Decision deadline: Nov 1
- US News National
- #7
- QS World
- #45
- THE World
- #30
- Forbes
- #16
- After the average intl award
- Full price before aid: ≈$99k/yr
- Applies if admitted
- Admit rate
- 7.7%
- of applicants get in
- Undergrads
- 9,201
- 12% international
- Next deadline
- Nov 1
- Early Decision
Plus shows 5 more facts about this school ↓
Getting in
About 8% of applicants are admitted. It is test-optional, so you do not have to send SAT or ACT scores, though strong ones still help.
- Test policy
- Test-optional, for international students too
- Admit rate for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Early decision admit rate
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1510–1570
- ACT, middle 50%
- 33–35
- Early Decision
- Nov 1
- Regular Decision
- Jan 1
- English tests
- no minimum required; competitive applicants score high. TOEFL iBT (not ITP Plus); no superscore/MyBest
- SAT or ACT can replace the English test
- Yes
Watch out: Admission is highly competitive: only about 8% of applicants are admitted, so outcomes are unpredictable even for strong students.
Cost & aid
Full price is about $99k a year before aid. Internationals who get aid here pay less. Plus shows how much less.
- Tuition & fees $68k
- Room & board $21k
- Other fees $4k
- Health insurance $6k
- Cost after the average intl award
- Aid for internationals
- Need-based
Asking for aid
They decide whether to admit you without looking at your ability to pay, so asking for financial aid does not lower your chances.- Part of the admission decision (need-aware)
Covers all proven need
If they admit you, they cover the full gap between what your family can pay and the total cost, usually with grants you do not repay.- Not published by the school
- Internationals who get aid
- Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
- No merit scholarship for internationals
- Average award for internationals
- Yearly aid budget for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Application fee
- Waiver available
- International applicants can get the fee waived. Ask admissions before paying anything.
- Local living costs
- 91.2 (New York = 100)
- Day-to-day costs are moderate for the US.
5more facts about this school in Plus
Cost after the average intl award
What an international student who gets aid pays here in a year, on average.
Average award for internationals. How much aid an international student gets, and what share of the full price it covers.
Internationals who get aid. How many international students here receive aid.
Early decision admit rate · Majors with the STEM work extension
And 3 more: Internationals who get aid · Early decision admit rate · Majors with the STEM work extension
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Work & visa
OPT lets graduates work in the US for a year after graduation, and STEM majors can add two more years.
- Study
- OPT 1 year
- STEM OPT +2 years
- Majors with the STEM work extension
- CPT internships
- Yes
- Work off campus in your field while you study
- On-campus jobs
- Yes
- Earn while enrolled, no extra visa needed
- Adviser for international students
- Yes
- Immigration and visa support on campus
- Undergraduate research
- Yes
- Co-op built into the curriculum
- No
- IB or A-level credit recognised
- Yes
- Your diploma can earn course credit
- Visa compliance record
- No known SEVIS issues on record
Life & outcomes
98% of first-year students return for a second year. 95% graduate within six years. Graduates start around $77k a year. About 12% of undergraduates are international.
- Median starting salary
- $76,844
- All graduates, all majors. Your field will vary.
- Undergraduates
- 9,201
- International undergraduates
- 1,065
- Share that is international
- 12%
- Countries represented
- 120
Similar universities
- Columbia University (College and SEAS)New York, NY · #15 US News · Need-based aid
- Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · #20 US News · No aid for internationals
- New York UniversityNew York, NY · #32 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · #13 US News · Need-based aid
- Duke UniversityDurham, NC · #7 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · #1 US News · Need-based aid
Where this comes from
34% of this school's fields are individually verified. Last checked Jul 2, 2026. Figures are for guidance, so always confirm on the school's official pages before you rely on them.
Data sources
- Main source
- College Scorecard (06/2026 release); THE World University Rankings 2026; Intl-aid/CoL batch (2026-06): Numbeo CoL Index; need-blind list per Wikipedia+aggregators; B5/D3 batch (2026-07): co-op per institutional programs; I-20 industry-norm default; SEVIS none-known default; CDS 2024-2025: AppFee/Deadlines/OtherFees (https://enrollment.northwestern.edu/data/2024-2025.pdf); English-req/test-policy: official intl-admissions pages (2026-07); IntlMisc (countries/SHIP/funnel/outcomes): official intl/ISSS/career pages (2026-07); Programs: IPEDS/Scorecard PCIP (Most-Recent-Cohorts, 2024) [Jul 1, 2026]; STEM-OPT %: DHS STEM List 2024 (6-digit) × Scorecard programs (4-digit CIP, split families adj.) [Jul 1, 2026]; Fee-waiver verified vs official admissions page [Jul 1, 2026]; AppFee verified Jul 1, 2026 (official)
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