How much does it cost to attend?
Sticker Price
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $62,391 |
| Other Fees | $1,077 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,590 |
| Room and Board | $19,440 |
| Other Expenses Budget | $4,896 |
Annual Tuition & Costs
The annual tuition to attend Northwestern University is $62,391. The cost is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Room and board fees are an additional $19,440. For educational materials, students should allocate approximately $1,590 for books and supplies plus $1,077 for other fees charged by the school. Finally, students should budget $4,896 for miscellaneous expenses throughout the year. With all these fees considered, the expected total cost to attend Northwestern University on a full-time basis is $89,394 per annum.
Housing Costs
On campus room and board is provided by the school at a cost of $19,440 per academic year. Students electing to live off campus elsewhere in Evanston should budget at least this amount.
Books and Supplies
The estimated annual cost for books and educational supplies is $1,590.
Other Living Expenses
If living on-campus, students should budget for $4,896 in additional living expenses. Off-campus students should budget for $4,896 in other miscellaneous living expenses.
All price data is sourced from the 2022/2023 U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics survey.
Net Price
The average reported annual net price for Northwestern University for students receiving grants or scholarship aid was $22,095* in 2019/2020. Net price includes tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and average cost for room and board and other expenses.
Average Net Price 2019/2020
Below is the average net price by student family income.
| Family Income | Net Price Paid |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $3,393 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,389 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,079 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,672 |
| $110,000+ | $48,102 |
The net price provides a more realistic estimate of the true cost of attending Northwestern University, once common grants and scholarships have been taken into account. It's important to note that your net price will fluctuate based on factors such as family income, assets and individual financial need. Net price is the out-of-pocket total cost that students end up paying or financing though student loans.
*Reported Average Annual Net Price for students receiving grant or scholarship aid reported to the U.S. Department of Education's Academic Year 2019/2020 IPEDS Survey. Financial aid is only available to those who qualify. Consult this school's net price calculator for further understanding of your potential net price.
Note that for colleges with no reported on-campus room and board, the average net price has been increased to account for living expenses. This number may not only reflect the net price paid to the school for tuition.
Financial Aid
50% of full-time undergrad Northwestern University received financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships from the institution or from Federal, State or local government agencies. This aid averaged $61,716 per student during the 2019/2020 school year. Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back.
Pell Grants
21 percent of students received aid in the form of Pell Grants from the U.S. Federal Government. The average Pell Grant awarded for 2019/2020 was $5,408. To apply for a Pell Grant to attend Northwestern University, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Student Loans
20% of students received Federal Student Loans averaging $4,654 and 2% of undergrads took out private student loans averaging $29,128.
| Type | Avg./Student | Students Receiving |
|---|---|---|
| Total Grant and Scholarship Aid | $61,716 | 50% |
| Institutional Grants and Scholarships | $57,949 | 50% |
| Pell Grants | $5,408 | 21% |
| Other Federal Grants | $2,446 | 21% |
| State and Local Grants | $5,540 | 6% |
| Federal Student Loans | $4,654 | 20% |
| Other Student Loans | $29,128 | 2% |
Financial Aid Mix - $89,394 Total Cost
CollegeSimply has modeled example payment coverage for the annual tuition and living expenses of $89,394. Breakdown is based on average grant aid and federal loan aid which will vary based on your family income.
Grants and Scholarships
73% - $61,716Money granted to you by the U.S. Department of Education, Northwestern University or other organizations. These are not loans and do not need to be repaid.
Federal Student Loans
6% - $4,654Low interest student loans funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This amount will need to be repaid.
Out of Pocket Cost
21% - $18,128Covered by family savings, work or private student loans which you will have to repay.
Student Loans
To gauge a more realistic picture of what it really could cost you out of pocket to go to Northwestern University, we've modeled a ten year student loan with an original principal value of $88,380. The loan balance of $88,380 is a four year multiple of the $22,095 average net price. This is a estimate of what you could owe upon graduation if you were to qualify for average financial aid and what a degree really may cost. Should you not qualify for financial aid, you may owe significantly more when you graduate. Based on these assumptions, a monthly repayment of $1,005 could be required to pay off your student loan. The total of all payments including interest would sum $120,586.39.
Please note that financial aid is not guaranteed and is only available for qualifying students. Federal Student Loans are not grants and must be repaid with interest. The current Stafford loan interest rate is 6.53%.
| Example Loan | $88,380 |
| Stafford Loan Interest Rate | 6.53% |
| Time to Pay Off Student Loan | 10 years |
| Example Monthly Payment | $1,004.89 |
| Total Interest Paid | $32,206.39 |
| Sum of All Loan Payments | $120,586.39 |
Student Loan Affordability
In order to afford student loan payments and still meet all your other costs of living, it is recommended not to borrow more than you can pay back using 10% of your monthly income earned after graduation. If you're considering attending Northwestern University, should consider if it will be realistic to make the post graduation loan payments based on your expected salary.
Using the 10% of salary threshold, an annual income of $120,586.39 would be needed to afford a $1,004.89 monthly payment in the example $88,380.00 loan modeled above. This assumes a repayment over 10 years. You can change the terms of this example loan using the student loan calculator below. View statistics about Northwestern University student loan debt and graduate salaries under student outcomes.
Projected 4 Year Degree Price
4 Year Sticker Price
| Year | All Residents |
|---|---|
| 1 | $89,394 |
| 2 | $92,869 |
| 3 | $96,478 |
| 4 | $100,228 |
Based on published tuition prices, we estimate the current cost of a 4 year bachelor's degree and living expenses at Northwestern University to be $357,576 - assuming graduation in normal time. The estimation assumes a 3.9% annual increase over the next 4 years which has been the recent trend for this school.
Credit Hour Cost and Price per Class
| Price Per Credit | 3 Credit Class | 4 Credit Class | All Residents | $7,372 | $22,116 | $29,488 |
|---|
Estimated cost for a class at Northwestern University based on published credit hour prices. Note that not all schools allow single class enrollment. These prices should be used for comparison purposes as to how much it may cost to take a class at Northwestern University versus other colleges.
Tuition Payment Plans Available
| Tuition Payment Plan | Yes |
| Prepaid Tuition Plan | No |
| Alternative Tuition Plan | Yes |
| Guaranteed Tuition Plan | No |
Tuition History
Historical tuition and price increases for Northwestern University.
| Year | Tuition | Annual Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $60,276 | 3.5% |
| 2020 | $58,227 | 3.5% |
| 2019 | $56,232 | 3.9% |
| 2018 | $54,120 | 3.6% |
| 2017 | $52,239 | 3.6% |
| 2016 | $50,424 | 3.7% |
| 2015 | $48,624 | 3.8% |
| 2014 | $46,836 | 3.8% |
| 2013 | $45,120 | 8.5% |
| 2012 | $41,592 | 4.4% |
| 2011 | $39,840 | 2.6% |
| 2010 | $38,838 | 4.6% |
| 2009 | $37,125 | 4.8% |
| 2008 | $35,429 | 5.5% |
| 2007 | $33,567 | 5.6% |
| 2006 | $31,789 | 5.7% |
| 2005 | $30,085 | 5.5% |
| 2004 | $28,524 | 4.8% |
| 2003 | $27,228 | 5.1% |
| 2002 | $25,905 | 4.8% |
| 2001 | $24,714 | 5.3% |
| 2000 | $23,476 | 4.8% |
| 1999 | $22,392 | 16.9% |
| 1998 | $19,152 | 5.8% |
| 1997 | $18,108 | 5.4% |
| 1996 | $17,184 | 4.8% |
| 1995 | $16,404 | 3.8% |
| 1994 | $15,804 | 4.8% |
| 1993 | $15,075 | 4.9% |
| 1992 | $14,370 | 4.7% |
| 1991 | $13,725 | 5.6% |
| 1990 | $12,996 | 5.9% |
| 1989 | $12,270 | 5.4% |
| 1988 | $11,637 | 5.5% |
| 1987 | $11,031 |
Is it Worth the Cost?
To make a comparative assessment if Northwestern is worth the price, measures of it's relative value for tuition dollar can be examined. We've calculated an academic national percentile rating of 96.47/100 for Northwestern University. Considering an average net price paid of $22,095, this leads to an overall value ranking of 80/100. This places the school 10th on our national Best Value Colleges ranking as a provider of a very high value education compared to actual overall price paid.
College Savings Calculator
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Student Loan Calculator
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Modify the loan assumptions to fit your financial situation and likely tuition price. Then calculate your payoff and loan payments for a Northwestern University student loan.
Costs for Similar Colleges
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Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147767 IPEDS survey data for Northwestern University.
Last updated February 24, 2024