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#13 Best Colleges in America

Northwestern Admission Requirements

Evanston, Illinois

 1 Reviews

Chances of getting into Northwestern University

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
7%
Admission Difficulty for Northwestern University
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Elite 
Applicant Competition Extreme 
How hard is it to get into Northwestern and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at Northwestern is 7%.  It ranks #2 in Illinois and #15 in the nation for lowest rate of acceptance. Northwestern is extremely competitive school to get into with a very low chance of acceptance - even for applicants with the highest scores and grades. Last year, 3,321 out of 47,636 applicants were admitted.

The school has exceptionally high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 2 percent on standardized admission tests. Northwestern University typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.92. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class. Of those applicants who were admitted, 63% enrolled. With over half of admitted students enrolling, acceptance by Northwestern University is a prized outcome for many students.

The Northwestern application fee is $75 and applications are due by Jan 1.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Northwestern University. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 43% of students submitted SAT scores and 39% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

Northwestern SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1470-1570
Applicants Submitting SAT 
43%
SAT Scores for Northwestern University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 720
SAT Math 25th 750
SAT Composite 25th 1470
SAT Scores for Northwestern University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 770
SAT Math 75th 800
SAT Composite 75th 1570
Average SAT Score 1520

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Northwestern University?

Northwestern University is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into Northwestern University score in the top 2 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1470-1570.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

Northwestern University admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1570 and Above Good >13%
1520 to 1570 Avg + 7%-13%
1470 to 1520 Avg - 4%-7%
1420 to 1470 Reach 2%-4%
Less than 1420 Low <2%
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Northwestern ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
34-35 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
39%
ACT Scores for Northwestern University
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 35
ACT Math 25th 32
ACT Composite 25th 34
ACT Scores for Northwestern University
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 36
ACT Math 75th 35
ACT Composite 75th 35
Average ACT Score 34

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Northwestern?

Northwestern University is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

Northwestern regularly accepts students who score 34 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 1 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 34-35.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Northwestern University admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
35 and Above Good >21%
34 to 35 Avg + 7%-21%
34 to 34 Avg - 7%-7%
34 to 34 Reach 7%-7%
Less than 34 Low <7%
Calculate My Chances 

Northwestern GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.92*
Typical High School Grades 
A-

What GPA do you need to get into Northwestern University?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into Northwestern. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Northwestern University was 3.92 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #2 in Illinois for highest average GPA. Given the school's very highly selective admissions, acceptance at Northwestern extremely difficult and unlikely even with a 3.92 GPA. The school should be considered a reach even if you have a 3.92 GPA.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.92 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

95% of Northwestern University freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted Northwestern University students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 95%
Top 25% of class 0%
Top 50% of class 0%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

Northwestern University admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 25,855 21,781 47,636
Accepted 1,869 1,452 3,321
Acceptance Rate 7% 7% 7%
Enrolled 1,161 925 2,086
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 62% 64% 63%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Jan 1, 2023
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 1, 2023.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Northwestern University is $75.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Northwestern University and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Northwestern University Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Recommended
High School Class Rank Recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Required
Recommendations Required
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at Northwestern University
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147767 IPEDS survey data for Northwestern University.

FAQs

Does Northwestern University prefer SAT or ACT?

43% of students submit their SAT scores to Northwestern. 39% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into Northwestern University?

7% of those who apply are granted admission to Northwestern. Admission competition is extreme and the college has elite admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for Northwestern University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1470 and 1570. 43% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for Northwestern University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 34 and 35. 39% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.