Private nonprofit · Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · City · Medium (9,201 undergrads)Website Net price calculator

The total cost of attendance at Northwestern University was $91,250 for 2024–25, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $29,167, and $1,764 if family income was under $30,000. In its Common Data Set (2024-25), the school reports 314 international undergraduates receiving aid, averaging $74,103.

Admit rate (2024–25)

SAT / ACT middle 50%

1510–1570 · 33–35

Your fit indicator

Reach

Highly selective (admit rate 8%) — a reach for every applicant

Cost of attendance (2024–25)

$91,250

Official · U.S. Dept. of Education (College Scorecard)

Net price (average)

$29,167

Federal-aid recipients; not for international students

Graduation rate

95%

Median earnings, 10 yrs

$89,363

Median debt

$15,000

Your real cost

Published cost → aid by income → what internationals pay

1
Published cost of attendance: $91,250 per year (2024-25)
Tuition & fees
$65,997
Housing & food (on campus)
$20,334
Books & supplies
$1,686
Other expenses
$3,273
Total: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2024-25. Breakdown: NCES IPEDS academic-year charges, 2023-24 (first-time, full-time undergrads). Costs usually rise each year.
2
U.S. students: average net price by family income
$0–30,000
$1,764
$30,001–48,000
$6,099
$48,001–75,000
$7,898
$75,001–110,000
$18,282
$110,001+
$48,777
Average for all aided students: $29,167. Net price = cost minus grants and scholarships (not loans).
Source: College Scorecard, 2024-25; students who received federal aid. Use the school's net price calculator for your own estimate.
3
International students: cost minus the school's own aid to internationals
Cost for a non-resident: $91,290. In 2024-25, 314 international (nonresident) undergraduates received institutional aid averaging $74,103.
For those aided students, that leaves about $17,187 a year. Students without an award pay the full cost. Past averages don't predict your award.
Source: the school's Common Data Set 2024-25, Section H6, numbers checked for consistency in the PDF (PDF copy from the College Transitions CDS repository), 2026-10-15. Open the CDS PDF
International students can't receive U.S. federal aid (Pell, federal loans, work-study). Add health insurance and travel.

How students pay here

Need-based aid

Average % of need met: 100%
Average need-based grant: $65,769
Students with need who got a need-based grant: 3,744 of 3,836

Policy: need-blind for U.S. applicants (reported — confirm on the official aid page).

Merit (non-need) aid

Students without need awarded merit aid: 62 (1% of full-time undergrads)
Average merit award: $21,215

All first-year aid (federal data)

Got any financial aid: 61%
Got a grant from the school: 51%; Average $60,925 (need + merit)
Got a Pell Grant: 21%; Average $5,613
Got a state grant: 6%; Average $7,116
Took a federal student loan: 21%; Average $4,761

International students

Need-aware for internationals; meets full need of admitted students (reported — confirm on official page; Aid request may factor into admission; packages meet 100% of need, loan-free.)

Forms & deadlines

FAFSA for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (this school takes federal aid). studentaid.gov
CSS Profile or the school's own form: check the school's aid page; many private colleges require it, including for internationals. CSS Profile
Aid deadlines: see the official aid page. We only list dates we've confirmed.

Sources: NCES IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022-23 (full-time, first-time undergrads; IPEDS doesn't separate need and merit). Common Data Set 2024-25 Sections H2/H2A, all full-time undergraduates, numbers checked for internal consistency (PDF copy via the College Transitions CDS repository). Open the PDF

Curated policies

International aid: need aware full need (secondary) · Test policy: unknown · Early: Not verified · Regular: Not verified · checked Oct 13, 2026. Official aid page

Living here

Evanston · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Cost of living 4% above the U.S. average · 2-bedroom median rent $1,454 · transit commute share 11.8%

Est. monthly student budget

$1,698

See the area

· Compare

Compare cost with similar schools

All colleges in Illinois: cost & aid · Ways to pay

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts institution file (released Jun 10, 2026). Cost of attendance & admissions: 2024–25. Net price, earnings, debt and completion are the most recent cohorts in that release and lag by a few years; net price covers federal-aid recipients (not international students). Fit labels are rough indicators from published ranges, not admission odds. “—” = not reported.