A college's ethnic diversity is indicated by the student body's equal inclusion of students from different backgrounds . Students at Northwestern are mainly White with a smaller Asian population. The school has high racial diversity. 50% percent of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC). The ethnic breakdown is detailed in the following table.
| Race | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| White |
50%
|
| Black |
6%
|
| Hispanic |
12%
|
| Asian |
17%
|
| American Indian / Alaskan |
0%
|
| Hawaiian / Pacific Islander |
0%
|
| Two or more races |
5%
|
| International |
8%
|
| Race Unknown |
2%
|
There are 16% more female students than male students enrolled at Northwestern University with a gender ratio of 54% women to 46% men. Compared to the US average of 56% female students, Northwestern has a comparable gender diversity ratio to other US colleges and is inclusive of both genders.
| Gender | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
46%
|
| Women |
54%
|
| Gender | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
10,711
|
| Women |
12,450
|
Northwestern serves a high number of out-of-state students with 78% of the student body residing outside of Illinois or from other countries.
| Origin | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| In State |
22%
|
| Out of State |
67%
|
| Foreign |
11%
|
| Unknown Location |
0%
|
21% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of Federal Pell Grant Aid.
| Segment | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Students Over 25 Years Old | 4.5% |
| Part time Undergrads | 4.2% |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147767 IPEDS survey data for Northwestern University.