Northwestern vs. OWU

Should I go to Northwestern University or Ohio Wesleyan University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern or OWU 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 Notre Dame Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Georgetown Michigan Stanford Loyola Penn
Northwestern University vs. Ohio Wesleyan University comparison
Northwestern University Ohio Wesleyan University College 3 College 4
Northwestern University Ohio Wesleyan University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Northwestern OWU
Location Evanston, IL Delaware, OH
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 23,203 1,452
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #369
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu owu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Northwestern OWU
Tuition (In State) $64,887 $51,771
Tuition (Out of State) $64,887 $51,771
Room & Board $20,334 $14,226
Avg Net Price $23,341 $23,826
Avg Grant Aid $64,463 $42,496
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 100%

Admission

 Northwestern OWU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,769 5,708
Admitted 3,703 2,892
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 50.7%
Enrolled % 57% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.54
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 25/31
SAT Range 1490/1560 1105/1350
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 Jan 1, 2026 Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 Northwestern OWU
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)

Outcomes

 Northwestern OWU
Graduation Rate 94% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $49,600
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $200 $279

Diversity

 Northwestern OWU
% Men 27% 0%
% Women 33% 0%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 50% 70%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 12% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 8% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 Northwestern OWU
% In-State 22% 66%
% Out-of-State 67% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than OWU based on total student enrollment (23,203 students vs. 1,452 students)

Northwestern vs. OWU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or OWU?

  • Northwestern University is 25.3% more expensive to attend than OWU for in-state tuition ($64,887.00 vs. $51,771.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.3% higher at Northwestern than Ohio Wesleyan University ($64,887.00 vs. $51,771.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than OWU ($23,341 vs. $23,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ohio Wesleyan University are 42.9% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($14,226 vs. $20,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ohio Wesleyan University than Northwestern University (100% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 51.7% larger than aid received Ohio Wesleyan University ($64,463 vs. $42,496)

Northwestern vs. OWU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at OWU (3.54)
  • OWU has a higher acceptance rate (50.7%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

Northwestern vs. OWU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern or OWU? 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 OWU and Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Ohio Wesleyan University (94% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $40,200 more per year than OWU graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $49,600)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $7,622 lower median federal student loan debt than OWU graduates. ($19,378 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than OWU graduates. ($200 vs. $279)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former OWU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 80%)

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