Northwestern vs. Rose-Hulman

Should I go to Northwestern University or Rose Hulman Institute of Technology? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern or Rose-Hulman 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 Purdue Notre Dame Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Georgetown Michigan Stanford Loyola
Northwestern University vs. Rose Hulman Institute of Technology comparison
Northwestern University Rose Hulman Institute of Technology College 3 College 4
Northwestern University Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
Location Evanston, IL Terre Haute, IN
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 23,203 2,250
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #115
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu rose-hulman.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
Tuition (In State) $64,887 $52,998
Tuition (Out of State) $64,887 $52,998
Room & Board $20,334 $17,718
Avg Net Price $23,341 $44,016
Avg Grant Aid $64,463 $30,210
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 99%

Admission

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,769 5,384
Admitted 3,703 3,920
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 72.8%
Enrolled % 57% 14.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 29/34
SAT Range 1490/1560 1280/1470
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 Rose-Hulman
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Engineering (84%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (6%)
  • Physical Sciences (3%)
  • Biology (3%)
  • Mathematics (3%)

Outcomes

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
Graduation Rate 94% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $84,200
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $200 $279

Diversity

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
% Men 27% 1%
% Women 33% 0%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 50% 74%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 12%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
% In-State 22% 32%
% Out-of-State 67% 61%

Campus

 Northwestern Rose-Hulman
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 Rose-Hulman based on total student enrollment (23,203 students vs. 2,250 students)

Northwestern vs. Rose-Hulman Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or Rose-Hulman?

  • Northwestern University is 22.4% more expensive to attend than Rose-Hulman for in-state tuition ($64,887.00 vs. $52,998.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.4% higher at Northwestern than Rose Hulman Institute of Technology ($64,887.00 vs. $52,998.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than Rose-Hulman ($23,341 vs. $44,016)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology are 14.8% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($17,718 vs. $20,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology than Northwestern University (99% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 113.4% larger than aid received Rose Hulman Institute of Technology ($64,463 vs. $30,210)

Northwestern vs. Rose-Hulman Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 138 points higher than at Rose-Hulman (1322)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Rose-Hulman (30)
  • Accepted freshman Rose-Hulman students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Northwestern (3.92)
  • Rose-Hulman has a higher acceptance rate (72.8%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

Northwestern vs. Rose-Hulman Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern or Rose-Hulman? 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 Rose-Hulman and Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (94% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $5,600 more per year than Rose-Hulman graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $84,200)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $7,622 lower median federal student loan debt than Rose-Hulman graduates. ($19,378 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than Rose-Hulman graduates. ($200 vs. $279)
  • More Rose-Hulman graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 87%)

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