Getting in
For Fall 2025, 52,676 first-year students applied to Northwestern, 3,933 were admitted and 2,139 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 7.5%.
Source: Northwestern Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Northwestern's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by school or major.
Source: Northwestern Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. Northwestern has one early decision plan and no early action plan. These counts are part of the totals above.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | 5,939 | 1,212 | 20.4% |
Source: Northwestern Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to Northwestern and name the school you want to enter. Some programs ask for more:
- Bienen School of Music. Every Bienen applicant, whatever the major, completes the Bienen School Supplement (prescreening where it applies, BA in Music materials or a composition portfolio), due October 15 for Early Decision and December 1 for Regular Decision. Early Decision auditions must be done by November 23; Regular Decision auditions are on campus February 5 to 14.
Source: Bienen School of Music, Undergraduate Application and Timeline (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Integrated Science Program and MMSS. These two selective programs have their own application and admission process beyond general admission to Northwestern. Check each program's site for its current requirements.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Application Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
78 majors across 6 schools. Every bachelor's degree major in Northwestern's official 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, grouped by the school that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Adjunct majors (taken only alongside another major), second majors, minors, certificates and graduate programs are left out.
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences41
- American Studies (BA)
- Anthropology (BA)
- Art History (BA)
- Art Theory and Practice (BA)
- Asian American Studies (BA)
- Asian Languages and Cultures (BA)
- Biological Sciences (BA)
- Black Studies (BA)
- Chemistry (BA)
- Classics (BA)
- Cognitive Science (BA)
- Comparative Literary Studies (BA)
- Computer Science (BA)
- Creative Writing (BA)
- Data Science (BA)
- Earth and Planetary Sciences (BA)
- Economics (BA)
- English (BA)
- Environmental Sciences (BA)
- French (BA)
- Gender and Sexuality Studies (BA)
- German (BA)
- History (BA)
- Integrated Science (BA)Extra requirement: A selective program with its own application and admission process beyond general admission.
- Italian Literature and Culture (BA)
- Jewish Studies (BA)
- Latina and Latino Studies (BA)
- Legal Studies (BA)
- Linguistics (BA)
- Mathematics (BA)
- Middle East and North African Studies (BA)
- Neuroscience (BA)
- Philosophy (BA)
- Physics (BA)
- Political Science (BA)
- Psychology (BA)
- Religious Studies (BA)
- Slavic Languages and Literatures (BA)
- Sociology (BA)
- Spanish (BA)
- Statistics (BA)
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Communication6
Each major leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BACMN) or a Bachelor of Science in Communication (BSCMN).
- Communication Studies
- Dance
- Human Communication Sciences
- Performance Studies
- Radio/Television/Film
- Theatre
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, School of Communication (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Education and Social Policy5
Each major leads to the bachelor of science in education and social policy.
- Elementary Teaching
- Human Development in Context
- Learning Sciences
- Learning and Organizational Change
- Social Policy
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, School of Education and Social Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science13
- Applied Mathematics (B.S.)
- Artificial Intelligence (BSE)
- Biomedical Engineering (B.S.)
- Chemical Engineering (B.S.)
- Civil Engineering (B.S.)
- Computer Engineering (B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.S.)
- Electrical Engineering (B.S.)
- Environmental Engineering (B.S.)
- Industrial Engineering (B.S.)
- Manufacturing and Design Engineering (B.S.)
- Materials Science and Engineering (B.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications1
- Journalism (BSJ)
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Bienen School of Music12
- Composition (BMus)
- Jazz Studies (BMus)
- Music (BAMus)
- Music (BSMus)
- Music Cognition (BMus)
- Music Education (BMus)
- Music Theory (BMus)
- Musicology (BMus)
- Piano (BMus)
- String Instruments (BMus)
- Voice and Opera (BMus)
- Winds and Percussion Instruments (BMus)
Source: Northwestern 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog, Bienen School of Music (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 1 | Mid-December | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | Late March | No |
Applications are due by 11:59 pm in your local time. Financial aid materials are due December 1, 2026 for Early Decision and February 1, 2027 for Regular Decision. QuestBridge applicants apply by October 1, 2026. The application fee is $75, or a fee waiver. Early Decision admits confirm by February 1; Regular Decision admits by May 1.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Application Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: as with all traditional early decision plans, you agree to withdraw all applications at other colleges and enroll at Northwestern if admitted. You submit an Early Decision agreement with your application.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Application Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Northwestern is test-optional and does not require the SAT or ACT. If you report scores, they are weighed with the rest of your application; applying without them does not affect your review. You may self-report, and Northwestern superscores the SAT. For the ACT, report your highest section scores and your official ACT superscore. Early Decision applicants may self-report October or November scores by November 30, 2026; Regular Decision applicants, December scores by February 15, 2027.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted.
Source: Northwestern Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Northwestern's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Northwestern Admissions, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Northwestern, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $71,802 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $1,260 |
| Food and housing (on campus) | $22,941 |
| Books and supplies | $1,239 |
| Other expenses | $2,079 |
| Total | $99,321 |
For a full-time undergraduate living on campus, fall, winter and spring quarters. Northwestern lists transportation as "varies", so it is not included.
Source: Northwestern Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $1,764 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,099 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $7,898 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,282 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,777 |
| All incomes | $29,167 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Northwestern's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Northwestern University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private9.4% admitted$26,780 average net price
Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA · Private7.1% admitted$19,285 average net price
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA · Private7.5% admitted$23,149 average net price
Rice UniversityHouston, TX · Private8% admitted$13,370 average net price
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · Private7.7% admitted$23,367 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.