IWU vs. Northwestern

Should I go to Illinois Wesleyan University or Northwestern University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IWU or Northwestern 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 Notre Dame Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Georgetown Michigan Stanford Loyola Penn
Illinois Wesleyan University vs. Northwestern University comparison
Illinois Wesleyan University Northwestern University College 3 College 4
Illinois Wesleyan University Northwestern University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

IWU Northwestern
Location Bloomington, IL Evanston, IL
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,527 23,161
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #144 #15
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iwu.edu northwestern.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

IWU Northwestern
Tuition (In State) $53,610 $62,391
Tuition (Out of State) $53,610 $62,391
Room & Board $12,418 $19,440
Avg Net Price $30,096 $22,095
Avg Grant Aid $36,614 $61,716
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 50%

Admission

IWU Northwestern
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,408 51,261
Admitted 1,861 3,695
Acceptance Rate 42.2% 7.2%
Enrolled % 20.5% 55.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 25/30 33/35
SAT Range 1120/1330 1490/1570
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, 2024

Academics

IWU Northwestern
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

IWU Northwestern
Graduation Rate 82% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $60,500 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $19,378
Median Loan Payment $279 $200

Diversity

IWU Northwestern
% Men 51% 46%
% Women 49% 54%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 50%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 9% 8%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

IWU Northwestern
% In-State 77% 22%
% Out-of-State 14% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than IWU based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 1,527 students)

IWU vs. Northwestern Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IWU or Northwestern?

  • Northwestern University is 16.4% more expensive to attend than IWU for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $53,610.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.4% higher at Northwestern than Illinois Wesleyan University ($62,391.00 vs. $53,610.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than IWU ($22,095 vs. $30,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois Wesleyan University are 56.5% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($12,418 vs. $19,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Illinois Wesleyan University than Northwestern University (100% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 68.6% larger than aid received Illinois Wesleyan University ($61,716 vs. $36,614)

IWU vs. Northwestern Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 211 points higher than at IWU (1249)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at IWU (28)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at IWU (3.86)
  • IWU has a higher acceptance rate (42.2%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

IWU vs. Northwestern Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IWU or Northwestern? 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 and IWU.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Illinois Wesleyan University (94% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $29,300 more per year than IWU graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $60,500)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $7,622 lower median federal student loan debt than IWU graduates. ($19,378 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than IWU graduates. ($200 vs. $279)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IWU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 87%)

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