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Harvard Caltech UChicago MIT UC Berkeley UCLA Duke USC Notre Dame Yale Vanderbilt Princeton| Northwestern University | Stanford University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
| Location | Evanston, IL | Stanford, CA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 23,161 | 18,283 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #15 | #2 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | northwestern.edu | stanford.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,391 | $57,693 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,391 | $57,693 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,440 | $18,619 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,095 | $18,279 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,716 | $60,619 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 50% | 53% |
Admission |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 51,261 | 56,378 | ||
| Admitted | 3,695 | 2,075 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 7.2% | 3.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 55.2% | 83.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.92 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 33/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1490/1570 | 1500/1580 | ||
| 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, 2025 | Jan 2, 2025 |
Academics |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 5:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
| Graduation Rate | 94% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $89,800 | $122,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 87% | 88% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,378 | $12,475 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $200 | $128 |
Diversity |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 46% | 53% | ||
| % Women | 54% | 47% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 50% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 10% | ||
| % International | 8% | 9% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 0% |
Students |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 22% | 35% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 67% | 48% | ||
Campus |
Northwestern | Stanford | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Northwestern University is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 18,283 students)
Northwestern vs. Stanford Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or Stanford?
- Northwestern University is 8.1% more expensive to attend than Stanford for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $57,693.00)
- Out of state tuition is 8.1% higher at Northwestern than Stanford University ($62,391.00 vs. $57,693.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than Northwestern ($18,279 vs. $22,095)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stanford University are 4.4% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($18,619 vs. $19,440)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Stanford University than Northwestern University (53% vs. 50%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 1.8% larger than aid received Stanford University ($61,716 vs. $60,619)
Northwestern vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Northwestern or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or Northwestern .
- The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 19 points higher than at Northwestern (1460)
- Incoming Northwestern students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Stanford (33)
- Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Northwestern (3.92)
- Northwestern has a higher acceptance rate (7.2%) than Stanford (3.7%)
Northwestern vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Northwestern or Stanford? 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 Stanford and Northwestern.
- The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than Northwestern University (96% vs. 94%)
- Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $33,100 more per year than Northwestern graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $89,800)
- Stanford University students graduate with a $6,903 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern graduates. ($12,475 vs. $19,378)
- Stanford graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern graduates. ($128 vs. $200)
- More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/