Howard vs. Northwestern College

Should I go to Howard University or Northwestern College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard or Northwestern College 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.

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Howard University vs. Northwestern College comparison
Howard University Northwestern College College 3 College 4
Howard University
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Overview

Howard Northwestern College
Location Washington, DC Saint Paul, MN
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,416 3,262
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #249 #551
Religious Affiliation - Other Protestant - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu nwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Howard Northwestern College
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $35,970
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $35,970
Room & Board $16,474 $11,148
Avg Net Price $30,028 $26,779
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $21,360
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Howard Northwestern College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,342 1,194
Admitted 10,587 1,097
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 91.9%
Enrolled % 21.4% 33.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/28 22/29
SAT Range 1100/1298 981/1293
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 Feb 15, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Howard Northwestern College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (22%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)

Outcomes

Howard Northwestern College
Graduation Rate 63% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $41,100
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $22,070
Median Loan Payment $279 $228

Diversity

Howard Northwestern College
% Men 8% 1%
% Women 16% 1%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 84%
% Black 91% 3%
% Hispanic 0% 4%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Howard Northwestern College
% In-State 1% 74%
% Out-of-State 91% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Howard University is larger than than Northwestern College based on total student enrollment (13,416 students vs. 3,262 students)

Howard vs. Northwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or Northwestern College?

  • Northwestern College is 9.4% more expensive to attend than Howard for in-state tuition ($35,970.00 vs. $32,878.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.4% higher at Northwestern College than Howard University ($35,970.00 vs. $32,878.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern College than Howard ($26,779 vs. $30,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 47.8% lower than costs at Howard University ($11,148 vs. $16,474)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Howard University as Northwestern College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 0.3% larger than aid received Northwestern College ($21,422 vs. $21,360)

Howard vs. Northwestern College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 3 points higher than at Northwestern College (1102)
  • Incoming Howard students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at Northwestern College (24)
  • Accepted freshman Howard students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at Northwestern College (3.58)
  • Northwestern College has a higher acceptance rate (91.9%) than Howard (34.9%)

Howard vs. Northwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard or Northwestern College? 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 Northwestern College and Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern College is higher than Howard University (64% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Howard University earn on average $10,700 more per year than Northwestern College graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $41,100)
  • Northwestern College students graduate with a $4,930 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($22,070 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern College graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($228 vs. $279)
  • More Northwestern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 33%)

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