IIT vs. Northwestern

Should I go to Illinois Institute of Technology or Northwestern University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IIT or Northwestern 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UChicago UIC Notre Dame Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Georgetown Michigan Stanford Loyola
Illinois Institute of Technology vs. Northwestern University comparison
Illinois Institute of Technology Northwestern University College 3 College 4
Illinois Institute of Technology Northwestern University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 IIT Northwestern
Location Chicago, IL Evanston, IL
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 6,943 23,161
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #186 #15
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iit.edu northwestern.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IIT Northwestern
Tuition (In State) $48,670 $62,391
Tuition (Out of State) $48,670 $62,391
Room & Board $15,570 $19,440
Avg Net Price $28,702 $22,095
Avg Grant Aid $40,243 $61,716
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 50%

Admission

 IIT Northwestern
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,243 51,261
Admitted 4,450 3,695
Acceptance Rate 61.4% 7.2%
Enrolled % 13.9% 55.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 28/32 33/35
SAT Range 1220/1410 1490/1570
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 Mar 1, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

 IIT Northwestern
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (50%)
  • Architecture (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (8%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 IIT Northwestern
Graduation Rate 64% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $79,300 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $19,378
Median Loan Payment $279 $200

Diversity

 IIT Northwestern
% Men 63% 46%
% Women 37% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 50%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 16% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 26% 8%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 IIT Northwestern
% In-State 60% 22%
% Out-of-State 29% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than IIT based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 6,943 students)

IIT vs. Northwestern Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IIT or Northwestern?

  • Northwestern University is 28.2% more expensive to attend than IIT for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $48,670.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.2% higher at Northwestern than Illinois Institute of Technology ($62,391.00 vs. $48,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than IIT ($22,095 vs. $28,702)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois Institute of Technology are 24.9% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($15,570 vs. $19,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Illinois Institute of Technology than Northwestern University (99% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 53.4% larger than aid received Illinois Institute of Technology ($61,716 vs. $40,243)

IIT vs. Northwestern Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 209 points higher than at IIT (1251)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at IIT (28)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at IIT (3.84)
  • IIT has a higher acceptance rate (61.4%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

IIT vs. Northwestern Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IIT or Northwestern? 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 and IIT.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Illinois Institute of Technology (94% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $10,500 more per year than IIT graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $79,300)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $7,622 lower median federal student loan debt than IIT graduates. ($19,378 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than IIT graduates. ($200 vs. $279)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IIT students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 81%)

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