Northwestern College vs. WLC

Should I go to Northwestern College or Wisconsin Lutheran College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern College or WLC 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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Northwestern College vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College comparison
Northwestern College Wisconsin Lutheran College College 3 College 4
Northwestern College Wisconsin Lutheran College
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Overview

 Northwestern College WLC
Location Orange City, IA Milwaukee, WI
Setting Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 1,651 1,086
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #638 #532
Religious Affiliation Reformed Church in America Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nwciowa.edu wlc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Northwestern College WLC
Tuition (In State) $34,000 $33,210
Tuition (Out of State) $34,000 $33,210
Room & Board $10,200 $11,380
Avg Net Price $25,198 $22,682
Avg Grant Aid $22,228 $23,128
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Northwestern College WLC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,105 1,474
Admitted 965 1,383
Acceptance Rate 87.3% 93.8%
Enrolled % 29.8% 22.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 22/27
SAT Range 940/1240 1038/1243
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Northwestern College WLC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Communication (19%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

 Northwestern College WLC
Graduation Rate 66% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,400 $43,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,092 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $259 $258

Diversity

 Northwestern College WLC
% Men 39% 44%
% Women 61% 56%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 83%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Northwestern College WLC
% In-State 55% 66%
% Out-of-State 42% 33%

Campus

 Northwestern College WLC
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 College is larger than than WLC based on total student enrollment (1,651 students vs. 1,086 students)

Northwestern College vs. WLC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern College or WLC?

  • Northwestern College is 2.4% more expensive to attend than WLC for in-state tuition ($34,000.00 vs. $33,210.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.4% higher at Northwestern College than Wisconsin Lutheran College ($34,000.00 vs. $33,210.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wisconsin Lutheran College than Northwestern College ($22,682 vs. $25,198)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 11.6% lower than costs at Wisconsin Lutheran College ($10,200 vs. $11,380)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Northwestern College as Wisconsin Lutheran College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wisconsin Lutheran College students is 4% larger than aid received Northwestern College ($23,128 vs. $22,228)

Northwestern College vs. WLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern College (1141) is 40 points higher than at WLC (1101)
  • Incoming Northwestern College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at WLC (24)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern College students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at WLC (3.54)
  • WLC has a higher acceptance rate (93.8%) than Northwestern College (87.3%)

Northwestern College vs. WLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern College is higher than Wisconsin Lutheran College (66% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Wisconsin Lutheran College earn on average $4,600 more per year than Northwestern College graduates after ten years. ($43,000 vs. $38,400)
  • Wisconsin Lutheran College students graduate with a $92 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,092)
  • WLC graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern College graduates. ($258 vs. $259)
  • More Northwestern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WLC students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 77%)

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