Updated February 12, 2025
Northwestern University – Acceptance Rate and Statistics
What is attending Northwestern University like?
Incredible academics and Big 10 athletics? Access to a big city and Greek life? Check, check, check, and check. Northwestern University has something for everyone — and with downtown Chicago just under 30 minutes away, Northwestern has a distinct campus while remaining close to the city.
A unique aspect of Northwestern is that classes are based off of the quarter system, meaning that rather than take two semesters of courses, like at most schools, you’ll take four quarters of courses. Students typically take four classes per quarter, with 12 classes per year. You can change your schedule more frequently, as well as take more courses than would be possible with the traditional semester system.
With a balance of sports, academics, arts, culture, and city life, Northwestern might be a good fit if you’re a well-rounded student interested in learning as much as you can and participating in many school traditions during your college years.
Northwestern University 2023-2024 Admissions Data
Northwestern University Admissions Statistics
Over the last few years, Northwestern’s acceptance rate has hovered around the 7.5% mark. If you want to apply, you can choose from two deadlines outlined on their site: Early Decision and Regular Decision. Early decision is binding, meaning that if you apply early and are accepted, you’ll be required to attend Northwestern University.
2023-2024 Northwestern University (Class of 2028) Acceptance Rate
| Admission Cycle | Number of applicants | Number admitted | Acceptance rate |
| All Applicants | 50,000+ | 3,750 | 7.5% |
Northwestern University Acceptance Rate History
| Year | Number of applicants | Number admitted | Acceptance rate |
| 2023-2024 (Class of 2028) | 50,000+ | 3,750 | 7.5% |
| 2022-2023 (Class of 2027) | 51,261 | 3,695 | 7.2% |
| 2021-2022 (Class of 2026) | 47,636 | 3,321 | 7.0% |
| 2020-2021 (Class of 2025) | 39,263 | 3,654 | 9.3% |
| 2019-2020 (Class of 2024) | 40,585 | 3,673 | 9.1% |
Northwestern Class of 2027 Middle 50% score range of admitted students (25th and 75th percentiles)*
| SAT Math | 760-780 |
| SAT ERW | 730-750 |
| ACT Math | 31-34 |
| ACT Reading | 34-35 |
| ACT English | 34-35 |
| ACT Science | 32-24 |
| ACT Composite | 33-34 |
| SAT Composite | 1500-1530 |
*What does this mean? The middle 50% score range refers to students from the 25th to the 75th percentile of admitted students. So if 100 students were admitted and we ranked their SAT scores from lowest to highest, we’d be looking at 50 students’ stats (from student 25 through student 75).
What is Northwestern looking for?
Northwestern offers plenty of helpful admissions advice on their website. They talk about the “fit” factor and emphasize that you should be a good fit for Northwestern, and Northwestern should be a good fit for you. The admissions team includes these questions to help you contemplate if you’re a good match (these are also helpful when thinking about essay prompts!):
- What topics are you excited to explore? What kinds of questions drive you forward?
- How have you shown initiative in learning more about the world around you?
- How have you challenged yourself? Surprised yourself?
- What role(s) have you played in the communities around you (e.g., family, school, religious, service organization)? What impact have you had ? How have these communities shaped you?
- What types of involvement have been the most meaningful for you? Why?
- How do you envision yourself plugging into, learning from, and contributing to Northwestern’s community?
- What are you proud of? What makes you awesome?
- What kind of friends do you hope to make in college? What kind of friend would you be?
- How do you overcome challenges or manage disagreements?
- What gives you joy?
You can demonstrate your unique perspective through your essays, academic profile, teacher recommendations, and activities.
Other colleges you may be interested in:
| College Name | Number of applicants (Class of 2028) | Number admitted (Class of 2028) | Acceptance rate (Class of 2028) |
| Yale University | 57,465 | 2,146 | 3.7% |
| Duke University | 54,191 | 2,790 | 5.2% |
| Vanderbilt University | 47,171 | 2,401 | 5.1% |
PrepMaven can help you in the admissions process
Wondering how to get into Northwestern University? PrepMaven can help you along the way. Whether you’re looking to boost your test scores, write a killer personal statement, or improve your GPA, we can be a helpful resource. With tutors who are graduates of top universities, valedictorians, National Merit Finalists, and National AP Scholars, we’re here to help you no matter what step you’re at in the admissions process.
Give us a call at 609-945-2264 or fill out our website form to learn how our flexible packages can work for you.
Alexis
Alexis is a tutor, writer, and producer. She graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. As a tutor, she loves to help students explore their unique stories and share their personal journeys through impactful essay writing.
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