Northwestern University
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Northwestern University: Rankings, Popular Courses, Fees

Shiksha popularity ranking
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#29 in World

#14 in USA

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  • Private University
  • Institute Icon240 acre campus
  • Estd. 1851
Dark Clock Icon Last updated on 24 Jun '26

Northwestern University
What's new?

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  • Admisisons are still open for some Master's courses at the Northwestern University

About Northwestern University

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Year of establishment
1851
University website
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Student website
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Total foreign students
5500
Campus size
240 acres
No. of campus
1
Scholarships available
1
Endowment value
USD 10 billion
Scholarships granted
4780
Scholarship amount granted
USD 255 million
Application fees
USD 75
English proficiency test
Required
Accepted exams
SAT/ACT accepted
Optional
Total faculty
3575
Faculty/Student ratio
6
UG/PG course ratio
0.66
Total criminal offences
306
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
On Highlights
Q:   Is Northwestern University as good as Ivy League?
A: 

Northwestern Uni is widely considered just as good as Ivy League colleges/universities. While it is not a member of the Ivy League, it ranks among the top 10 universities in the US. It is often referred as an "Ivy Plus" institution, alongside the likes of MIT, Stanford, and Duke.

Similar to Ivy League institutions, Northwestern Uni is known for offering:

  • World-class academic programs 
  • R1 research university status
  • Low acceptance rate (7.4%)
  • Strong graduate employability (96%)
  • Vibrant and diverse international student community (140+ countries represented)
Q:   Is Northwestern University good for Indian students?
A: 

Yes, Northwestern University is an excellenct choice for Indian students seeking a globally recognised US degree from a top US university. Some key reasons that make NWU a good choice for Indian students is mentioned below:

  • World-class STEM and Business programs
  • Easy access to Chicago's top finance and tech companies like JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Google, Salesforce, and Cisco
  • Active Indian student community including the Indian Student Association, Indian Graduate Students and Scholars Association, and Project RISHI
  • 100% of UG students who need financial aid, recieve the same
Q:   Which is harder to get into for Indian students, UCLA or Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern Uni with an acceptance rate of 7.4%, is marginally more difficult to get into than UCLA (9%). However, students encounter a different admission process for each.

Northwestern looks at all aspects of a candidate, including academics, extracurricular, LORs, essays, and test scores like SAT or ACT. UCLA on the other hand, is test-blind (does not consider SAT or ACT). High-school and Class 12th grades carry higher importance.

Northwestern University Ranking 2026

#29

World level
Shiksha Popularity Rank
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#14

Country level
Shiksha Popularity Rank
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Commonly asked questions
On Rankings
Q:   What is the Northwestern University QS Ranking 2027?
A: 

Northwestern Uni QS Ranking 2027 is #45 in the world. It has maintained its status among the top 50 uiniversities globally for the 3rd year in a row. Given below is how NWU QS World rankings have changed in recent years:

Year202620252024
Northwestern University QS World Rank#45#42#50

Northwestern University Admissions 2026

  • Application fees :USD 50 - 250
  • Type of deadline :Depends on course
Document IconDocuments
Type of documentsApplicable for
SOPNeeded for few courses
LORNeeded for few courses
EssaysNeeded for few courses
CVNeeded for few courses
Additional documentsRequired
How to Write Northwestern MBA Essays in 2024?
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Commonly asked questions
On Admissions
Q:   Is SAT/ACT mandatory for undergraduate programs at Northwestern University?
A: 

No, students are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores for undergraduate programs. Student's application will not be affected with or without SAT/ACT scores. It will be evaluated based on their grades, academic awards, essays and the rest portfolio.

Q:   How to apply to Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern University takes admissions on a rolling basis. This means, international students can apply throughout the year at the university. The university takes admissions through four types of applications; QuestBridge, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Transfer.

Type of Application

Particulars

QuestBridge

It is for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges through a process called College Match

Early Decision

It is for those who have done good college research and are thrilled to land at Northwestern next Fall

Regular Decision

This allows students to potentially consider multiple offers of admission and financial aid

Transfer

This is for students who have enrolled in college courses after secondary school graduation for transfer admission

Q:   What are the admission requirements at Northwestern University?
A: 

Check below the minimum admission requirements for international students at Northwestern University:

UG Admission Requirements

  • Application form
  • SAT/ACT
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement and supplemental essay
  • Interviews
  • Academic transcripts of secondary school examinations
  • Proficiency in the English language

PG Admission Requirements

  • An application form
  • A certified copy of the diploma and/or degree certificate for any conferred degree
  • English language requirement
  • Essay
  • GRE/GMAT
  • Two letters of recommendation







Northwestern University
Northwestern University Scholarships for Indian Students 2026

1No. of scholarships available
36.3 LTotal scholarship amount
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Commonly asked questions
On Scholarships
Q:   Does Northwestern University give full scholarships to international students?
A: 

At the undergraduate level, Northwestern University has a need-aware admission review for international students. Meaning, a request for financial aid and the amount of financial aid a student requires may impact the admission decision. Note that only first-year applicants are eligible for financial aid. Some of the features of financial aid awards for international students of Northwestern University are:

  • Meet 100% of demonstrated financial need of students
  • Consider the full cost of attendance
  • Packages are loan and work free
  • Consists only of grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid

Read: Scholarships to Study in USA for Indian Students 

Q:   What is a need-aware scholarship at Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern University offers need-aware scholarships to international students enrolling into its undergraduate programs. Only first-year international applicants are eligible for this scholarship. Check below the minimum eligibility for need-aware scholarships:

Financial Aid Awards for International Students

  • Meet 100% of a student's demonstrated financial need
  • Consider the full cost of attendance (tuition, room & board, fees, health insurance, books & supplies, personal expenses and travel allowance)
  • Consists only grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid
  • Packages are loan and work-free
  • Applicable only to undergraduate study 

Northwestern University Popular Courses

MS
MBA/PGDM
B.E. / B.Tech
B.A.
More

₹65.31 LGet Fee Details

₹63.22 LGet Fee Details

₹73.1 LGet Fee Details

₹67.94 LGet Fee Details

₹61.08 LGet Fee Details

View AllMS Courses

Northwestern University Job Outcomes

CourseMedian Salary
MBA/PGDM
141.72 LPA

Top Recruiters

Google
JP Morgan Chase
Accenture
Amazon
Boeing
BCG
Apple
American Express
Local Oye
Microsoft
SAP
IBM
DeloitteConsulting
Intel
Bain and Company
Oracle
Facebook
Cisco Systems
Barclays Capital
UBER
Yahoo
IBM
Deloitte
Merrill Lynch
Goldman Sachs
Linkedin
McKinseyCompany
Bank of America
Morgan Stanley
Nike
PepsiCo
Procter Gamble
Unilever
Visit official career services website External Link Icon
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Commonly asked questions
On Placements
Q:   Can Indian students work part-time while studying in USA?
A: 

Yes, international students are allowed to do part-time work while studying. Part-time work is a great way to help themselves in paying off their tuition fees. It is not cheap to live in the United States. The cost of living in the United States depends on the tier of the city students live in. International students are allowed to work for 20 hours per week on part-time jobs to cover their expenses. There are a lot of part-time jobs available in the United States, students can work as a waiter or cashier in a restaurant.

Q:   Who were the top employers for the MBA graduates of Northwestern University?
A: 

MBA graduates at Northwestern University have been placed in some of the top organizations after completing their course. The top employers at the university are mentioned in the table below:

School

Top Recruiters

School of Communication

Chicago Public Schools, Forte Group, Starbucks, The Boeing Company, Towers Watson, Accenture, Amazon Corporate LLC, Apple, Inc., Avenue, etc.

School of Education & Social Policy

EY, Illinois Institute of Technology, Miami University, PwC, ApplySquare, Aspira Inc., Chicago Booth, Columbia College, Duke University, etc.

Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

Abbott, Adobe, AFP, Google, Deloitte, ESPN, IBM, Nielson Holdings, SFCG, The New York Times, United Airlines, American Airlines, etc.

McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science

Baker McKenzie, Boeing, BPRG, CDW, Chicago Transit Authority, eBay, General Electric, Google, GoDaddy, Honeywell, Intel, KPMG, LinkedIn, Union Pacific, etc.

School of Professional Studies

Google, McMaster-Carr, Cigna, City of Chicago, Microsoft Corporation, Wells Fargo, Epic, Northrop Grumman, Voya Financial, etc.

The Graduate School

Adjutant Solutions Group, Adult & Child Health, AeroTek, Affinity Counseling, Aker Solutions, DMC, EA, Ericsson Labs, Grant Thornton, etc.

Q:   What are the career services provided by the Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) at the Northwestern University provides various career services to its students. These career services help the students in career planning and job search. In addition, NCA also provides various career enhancement programs that help the students in supplementing their academic experience with professional opportunities. Some of the career services are:

  • Handshake Access: It is a central platform for accessing career services. Students can find job and internship opportunities, schedule appointments with career counselors, gain knowledge about career events, etc.
  • Career Treks: A group of students visit various companies on these treks
  • Career Fairs: These employer events present opportunities for the students to network
  • NEXT (Northwestern Externship Program)
  • SIGP (Summer Internship Grant Program)







Northwestern University Cost for Indian Students 2026

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Courses1st Year Tuition FeesDuration & Eligibility
MS(39 courses)
INR 23 L - 84 LGet Fee Details
Duration9 months-2 years
Exam AcceptedTOEFL: 80 - 100, PTE, Duolingo, IELTS: 7 - 8, GRE, GMAT
MBA/PGDM(13 courses)
INR 23 L - 1 CrGet Fee Details
Duration9 months-2 years
Exam AcceptedTOEFL: 80 - 100, PTE, Duolingo, IELTS: 7 & Above, GMAT, GRE
B.E. / B.Tech(26 courses)
INR 61 L - 66 LGet Fee Details
Duration4-5 years
Exam AcceptedIELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, SAT
B.A.(42 courses)
Duration4-5 years
Exam AcceptedIELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo
B.Sc.(14 courses)
Duration4 years
Exam AcceptedIELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, SAT
UG certificate(8 courses)
INR 61 L - 62 LGet Fee Details
Duration1 year-4 years
Exam AcceptedIELTS: 7.5 & Above, TOEFL: 105 & Above, PTE, Duolingo
Others PG(8 courses)
INR 43 L - 70 LGet Fee Details
Duration1 year-2 years
Exam AcceptedTOEFL: 100 & Above, PTE, Duolingo, IELTS: 6.5 - 7.5, GMAT, GRE
M.A.(4 courses)
INR 46 L - 62 LGet Fee Details
Duration1 year-2 years
Exam AcceptedTOEFL: 80 - 100, PTE, Duolingo
B.J.M.C.(6 courses)
INR 62 L - 67 LGet Fee Details
Duration18 months-5 years
Exam AcceptedIELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo
MEM(1 course)
Duration9 months
Exam AcceptedGMAT, GRE, IELTS: 7 & Above, TOEFL: 80 & Above, PTE, Duolingo
Read more
View Course Wise Fees ->
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Commonly asked questions
On Fees and Eligibility
Q:   What is the application fee for Indian students at Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern University application fees for Indian students vary for different programs. The general Northwestern University application fee for UG programs is USD 75 or INR 7.1 K and USD 95 or INR 9 K for PG programs. It is a non-refundable application fee.

1 USD = INR 94.54







Northwestern University
Student profile

Quick university statsInsights on student demographics, enrolment, and academic success
UG Race

Others

58%

Asian

20%

Hispanic

14%

Black

6%

UG Student residence

Out of state

67%

In state

21%

Foreign

10%

UG Applicant Icon

UG Number of Applicant

51261
grad RateIcon

Overall Graduation Rate

97

Northwestern University Notable Alumni

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Commonly asked questions
On Alumni
Q:   Who are the notable alumni of Northwestern University?
A: 

Northwestern University has a strong alumni network of over 260,000 members all over the globe. The University alumni network includes various notable personalities, leaders, innovators, dreamers, mentors, and game changers. The graduates are working in top sectors including Business Development, Information Technology, Operations, Engineering, Marketing, and many more. Also, the graduates are highly skilled in Business Strategy, Marketing, Strategic Planning, Project Management etc. Some of them are as follows:

  • Ann-Margret
  • Clancy Brown
  • Megan Mullally
  • Lily Rabe
  • Zooey Deschanel
  • Hugh Hefner
  • David Schwimmer
  • George R. R. Martin
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus
  • Pharrell Williams
  • Warren Beatty
  • Laura Linney
  • Charlton Heston
  • Cindy Crawford
  • Jeri Ryan
  • Jerry Springer

College comparison

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Compare Northwestern University with other similar colleges

MS
MBA/PGDM
B.E. / B.Tech
B.A.
B.Sc.
UG certificate
Others PG
M.A.
B.J.M.C.
MEM
College1st Year Tuition FeesRanking
INR 22.94 L - 84.33 L#45 QS, 2027
INR 20.25 L - 85.96 L#15 QS, 2027
INR 27.4 L - 93.45 L#94 QS, 2027
INR 27.44 L - 76.34 L#24 QS, 2027
INR 36.78 L - 86.45 L#20 QS, 2027
INR 31.13 L - 54.85 L#279 QS, 2027
The values are of the latest years available with Shiksha. For more details, check detailed comparison
View comparisons
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Northwestern University
Studying in USA

Key Facts About USA

Insights on education, demographics & weather.
Education in USA
school Key Fact Icon
963+
backpack Key Fact Icon
3.38L
cashRegister Key Fact Icon
20 hours per week
cashRegister Key Fact Icon
12 months
Country stats
mapPin Key Fact Icon
Washington D.C.
keyUsers Key Fact Icon
347.28M (2025)
chartMixed Key Fact Icon
2%
letterA Key Fact Icon
English
Weather
July
CF
Popular LocationsMinMax
Boston1928
New York2129
Chicago00
Los Angeles1829
Explore popular study abroad destinations

Northwestern University USA Campus

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Commonly asked questions
On Others
Q:   How is student life for Indian students at Northwestern University?
A: 

The university offers various events such as performances, sports, clubs and organisations and many more. The university has seven libraries, out of which the university library is the main Evanston campus library serving since 1970. Every library serves different purpose. The university's athletic's department consists of 8 men's and 13 women's athletic teams. These include sports like basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball and many more. Students are also offered various recreational facilities such as olympic-sized pool, modern workout space, fitness classes etc. Apart from this, there are various student organisations and clubs that students can join based on their interests.

Q:   How many libraries does Northwestern University have?
A: 

Northwestern University consists of: University Library, Mudd Library, Math Library and Professional Libraries.

  • University library is the main library consisting several resources of different departments.

NOTE: The university library is closed due to undergoing renovations. 

  • Mudd and Math libraries are accessible to the students of north campus for 24/7 with a valid card with no assistance.
  •  Professional Library consists of: Galter Health Sciences Library for medical resources; Pritzker Legal Research Center for law related resources and Styberg Library.
Q:   What service does Northwestern University offer to disabled students?
A: 

Northwestern University provides:

  • Academic Accommodations
  • Housing Accommodations

To avail these accommodation, students must submit an online application form along with the following documents.

  • Examined by a licensed professional, with no connections with the student
  • Proof of the Diagnosis
  • Explaining the limitations that students will face during their stay.
Q:   Does Northwestern University offer any academic support?
A: 

Yes, Northwestern University offers academic support to the students such as a university library, advising support, IT services etc.

  • The university library consists of 4.6 million volumes and is ranked #11 among the top private universities in the US. The library holds various historical collections including newspapers, scientific documents, medieval manuscripts, pamphlets etc., published in US between 1639 and 1829. The Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies is one of the special collections that consists of rare recordings along with some source material on Africana from pre-colonial times. Students can find various resources to support their academics such as printed books, e-books, journals, audio files, graphic images, maps, microforms etc.

  • Students at every degree levels are offered advisors who guide them academically. The office of Academic Support and Learning Advancement helps students find suitable study groups, tutoring services, career services that include career fairs, counselling etc. 

  • NU offers IT services to the students by providing Macs, PCs and UNIX workstations along with network resources.

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Comments

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Northwestern University

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a month ago

The acceptance rate at Northwestern University are quite low, it is around 7.5 %, that makes it quite difficult to be admitted there. Look at the guidelines given below -

  • This uncertainty could be erased if the students need to meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by the University for the speci

...Read more

P

Piyush Rastogi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

It takes up around 9-15 months for a MEM course to be get over with if the applicant choose full-time course.

The MEM course is flexible and students can select for a part-time program which allows them to work while completing their studies.

L

Lalit Shukla

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

Students are going to Northwestern University because it is a brand symbol and have also been consistent with its performance, being at the top ranks year after year as a private research University.

Look at the guidelines given below -

  • It is ranked at #29 and #14 at world level and country level as p

...Read more

K

Kanika Pandey

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

: The Entry Requirements for MEM course at Northwestern University includes academic certificates, personal statement, English language test scores, visa, references and resumes. This list is mentioned below in detail, take a look -

·       UG Degree

·       Minimum of 3 LORs

·       Calculus based sta

...Read more

78590890
Loveleen Sharma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

There is a very limited, only one MEM course accessible to Indian students at Northwestern University but with an amazing core curriculum, that is the reason more Indians students are picking up the course. Look at the given guidelines -

  • It is a multi-disciplinary course. 
  • The main objective of the co

...Read more

V

Virajita Bisht

Contributor-Level 10

About the author

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Akash Gaur

Study Abroad Expert

Akash Gaur, a BTech grad from Ghaziabad, is working as a Content Writer at Shiksha.com. In his role as a Study Abroad expert, Akash takes care of key pages for colleges and universities abroad. He creates, updates, and maintains p... Read Full Bio

Northwestern University

Northwestern University Others(1)Northwestern University Hall
Northwestern University Others(2)Library
Northwestern University Others(3)Mudd Hall
Northwestern University Others(1)
Northwestern University Others(2)

Northwestern University
Location

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University CityEvanston, Illinois, USA
Size of citySmall
Population of City74,756

Northwestern University
Campuses

Departments Icon1   Campuses
Evanston campusUp Arrow Icon
Address

Northwestern University
Contact Information

Address

633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois-60208, USA
Evanston ( Illinois)

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