Dort vs. Northwestern College

Should I go to Dordt College or Northwestern College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dort or Northwestern College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Dordt College vs. Northwestern College comparison
Dordt College Northwestern College College 3 College 4
Dordt College
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Overview

Dort Northwestern College
Location Sioux Center, IA Saint Paul, MN
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,861 3,253
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #486 #554
Religious Affiliation Christian Reformed Church Other Protestant - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dordt.edu nwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dort Northwestern College
Tuition (In State) $34,000 $34,490
Tuition (Out of State) $34,000 $34,490
Room & Board $10,990 $10,644
Avg Net Price $27,375 $25,704
Avg Grant Aid $21,920 $20,487
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Dort Northwestern College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,476 1,349
Admitted 1,294 1,248
Acceptance Rate 87.7% 92.5%
Enrolled % 34.3% 31.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.65 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 21/28
SAT Range 1020/1260 1015/1311
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Dort Northwestern College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (23%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Agriculture (6%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (22%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)

Outcomes

Dort Northwestern College
Graduation Rate 60% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,300 $41,100
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $22,070
Median Loan Payment $237 $228

Diversity

Dort Northwestern College
% Men 47% 39%
% Women 53% 61%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 84%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 0% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 7% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 9% 1%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

Dort Northwestern College
% In-State 39% 77%
% Out-of-State 50% 22%

Campus

Dort Northwestern College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern College is larger than than Dort based on total student enrollment (3,253 students vs. 1,861 students)

Dort vs. Northwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dort or Northwestern College?

  • Northwestern College is 1.4% more expensive to attend than Dort for in-state tuition ($34,490.00 vs. $34,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Northwestern College than Dordt College ($34,490.00 vs. $34,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern College than Dort ($25,704 vs. $27,375)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 3.3% lower than costs at Dordt College ($10,644 vs. $10,990)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Dordt College as Northwestern College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dordt College students is 7% larger than aid received Northwestern College ($21,920 vs. $20,487)

Dort vs. Northwestern College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Dort or Northwestern College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Northwestern College or Dort .

  • The average SAT score at Dordt College (1159) is 57 points higher than at Northwestern College (1102)
  • Incoming Dort students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Northwestern College (24)
  • Accepted freshman Dort students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Northwestern College (3.58)
  • Northwestern College has a higher acceptance rate (92.5%) than Dort (87.7%)

Dort vs. Northwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dort or Northwestern College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Northwestern College and Dort.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern College is higher than Dordt College (64% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Dordt College earn on average $2,200 more per year than Northwestern College graduates after ten years. ($43,300 vs. $41,100)
  • Northwestern College students graduate with a $930 lower median federal student loan debt than Dort graduates. ($22,070 vs. $23,000)
  • Northwestern College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Dort graduates. ($228 vs. $237)
  • More Dort graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern College students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 78%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/