Northwest University vs. WLC

Northwest University vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College comparison

	Northwest University	Wisconsin Lutheran College	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Northwest University	WLC
Location	Kirkland, WA	Milwaukee, WI
Setting	Large Suburban	Large City
Enrollment	999	1,094
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#417
Religious Affiliation	Assemblies of God Church	Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	northwestu.edu	wlc.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Northwest University	WLC
Tuition (In State)	$35,535	$34,520
Tuition (Out of State)	$35,535	$34,520
Room & Board	$10,648	$11,880
Avg Net Price	$25,917	$22,809
Avg Grant Aid	$21,864	$24,122
% Receiving Grant Aid	99%	100%

Admission	Northwest University	WLC
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	586	1,847
Admitted	516	1,460
Acceptance Rate	88.1%	79%
Enrolled %	29.5%	17.2%
Avg High School GPA	3.41	3.54
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Difficult	Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	24/29	22/28
SAT Range	1040/1325	1060/1300
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, 2026

Academics	Northwest University	WLC
Student to Faculty Ratio	9:1	11:1
Popular Majors	Theology and Religious Vvocations (23%) Business (16%) Education (12%) Health Professions (11%) Communication (10%)	Communication (19%) Education (15%) Business (14%) Psychology (11%) Biology (7%)
Outcomes	Northwest University	WLC
Graduation Rate	50%	63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,400	$43,000
Making Student Loan Payments	62%	77%
Median Student Loan Debt	$21,532	$25,000
Median Loan Payment	$222	$258

Diversity	Northwest University	WLC
% Men	12%	2%
% Women	21%	4%
Racial Diversity	Medium	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	69%	83%
% Black	5%	5%
% Hispanic	8%	5%
% Native American	1%	0%
% Pacific Islander	1%	0%
% Two or More Races	5%	2%
% International	4%	2%
% Unknown Race	2%	1%

Students	Northwest University	WLC
% In-State	79%	69%
% Out-of-State	18%	31%
Campus	Northwest University	WLC
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

• Wisconsin Lutheran College is larger than than Northwest University based on total student enrollment (1,094 students vs. 999 students)

Northwest University vs. WLC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwest University or WLC?

• Northwest University is 2.9% more expensive to attend than WLC for in-state tuition ($35,535.00 vs. $34,520.00)
• Out of state tuition is 2.9% higher at Northwest University than Wisconsin Lutheran College ($35,535.00 vs. $34,520.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wisconsin Lutheran College than Northwest University ($22,809 vs. $25,917)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwest University are 11.6% lower than costs at Wisconsin Lutheran College ($10,648 vs. $11,880)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Wisconsin Lutheran College than Northwest University (100% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Wisconsin Lutheran College students is 10.3% larger than aid received Northwest University ($24,122 vs. $21,864)

Northwest University vs. WLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Wisconsin Lutheran College (1101) is 105 points higher than at Northwest University (996)
• Incoming WLC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Northwest University (22)
• Accepted freshman WLC students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Northwest University (3.41)
• Northwest University has a higher acceptance rate (88.1%) than WLC (79%)

Northwest University vs. WLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwest University or WLC? 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 WLC and Northwest University.

• The graduation rate at WLC is higher than Northwest University (63% vs. 50%)
• Graduates from Wisconsin Lutheran College earn on average $1,600 more per year than Northwest University graduates after ten years. ($43,000 vs. $41,400)
• Northwest University students graduate with a $3,468 lower median federal student loan debt than WLC graduates. ($21,532 vs. $25,000)
• Northwest University graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than WLC graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
• More WLC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwest University students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 62%)

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