Northwestern College Tuition & Cost

  • 5/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Orange City, IA
  • 4.0 2 reviews
#12 Best Private Colleges in Iowa

How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

Sticker Price

$52,310
Costs for Northwestern College
Fee Cost
Tuition $36,710
Books and Supplies $1,150
Other Fees $310
Room and Board $10,900
Budget for Other Expenses $3,240
Total One Year Cost $52,310

Annual Tuition & Costs

The annual tuition to attend Northwestern College is $36,710. The cost is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Room and board fees are an additional $10,900. For educational materials, students should allocate approximately $1,150 for books and supplies plus $310 for other fees charged by the school. Finally, students should budget $3,240 for miscellaneous expenses throughout the year. With all these fees considered, the expected total cost to attend Northwestern College on a full-time basis is $52,310 per annum.

Housing Costs

On campus room and board is provided by the school at a cost of $10,900 per academic year. Students electing to live off campus elsewhere in Orange City should budget at least this amount.

Books and Supplies

The estimated annual cost for books and educational supplies is $1,150.

Other Living Expenses

If living on-campus, students should budget for $3,240 in additional living expenses. Off-campus students should budget for $3,240 in other miscellaneous living expenses.

All price data is sourced from the IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025.

Net Price

The average reported annual net price for Northwestern College for students receiving grants or scholarship aid was $26,347* in 2023/2024. Net price includes tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and average cost for room and board and other expenses.

Average Net Price 2023/2024

$26,347

Below is the average net price by student family income.

Net Price by Income Northwestern College
Family Income Net Price Paid
$0 to $30,000$27,059
$30,001 to $48,000$19,503
$48,001 to $75,000$20,572
$75,001 to $110,000$24,265
$110,000+$29,539

The net price provides a more realistic estimate of the true cost of attending Northwestern College, once common grants and scholarships have been taken into account. It's important to note that your net price will fluctuate based on factors such as family income, assets and individual financial need. Net price is the out-of-pocket total cost that students end up paying or financing though student loans.

*Reported Average Annual Net Price for students receiving grant or scholarship aid reported to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2023/2024. Financial aid is only available to those who qualify. Consult this school's net price calculator for further understanding of your potential net price.

Note that for colleges with no reported on-campus room and board, the average net price has been increased to account for living expenses. This number may not only reflect the net price paid to the school for tuition.

Financial Aid

100% of full-time undergrad Northwestern College received financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships from the institution or from Federal, State or local government agencies. This aid averaged $23,537 per student during the 2023/2024 school year. Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back.

Pell Grants

27 percent of students received aid in the form of Pell Grants from the U.S. Federal Government. The average Pell Grant awarded for 2023/2024 was $4,480. To apply for a Pell Grant to attend Northwestern College, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Student Loans

66% of students received Federal Student Loans averaging $4,970 and 19% of undergrads took out private student loans averaging $10,362.

Financial Aid Northwestern College
Type Avg./Student Students Receiving
Total Grant and Scholarship Aid $23,537 100%
Institutional Grants and Scholarships $20,395 100%
Pell Grants $4,480 27%
Other Federal Grants $932 28%
State and Local Grants $7,209 23%
Federal Student Loans $4,970 66%
Other Student Loans $10,362 19%

Data Source, IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2023/2024

Financial Aid Mix - $52,310 Total Cost

CollegeSimply has modeled example payment coverage for the annual tuition and living expenses of $52,310. Breakdown is based on average grant aid and federal loan aid which will vary based on your family income.

Grants 48%
Loans 10%
Out of Pocket 42%

Grants and Scholarships

48% - $23,537

Money granted to you by the U.S. Department of Education, Northwestern College or other organizations. These are not loans and do not need to be repaid.

Federal Student Loans

10% - $4,970

Low interest student loans funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This amount will need to be repaid.

Out of Pocket Cost

42% - $20,563

Covered by family savings, work or private student loans which you will have to repay.

Student Loans

To gauge a more realistic picture of what it really could cost you out of pocket to go to Northwestern College, we've modeled a ten year student loan with an original principal value of $105,388. The loan balance of $105,388 is a four year multiple of the $26,347 average net price. This is a estimate of what you could owe upon graduation if you were to qualify for average financial aid and what a degree really may cost. Should you not qualify for financial aid, you may owe significantly more when you graduate. Based on these assumptions, a monthly repayment of $1,198 could be required to pay off your student loan. The total of all payments including interest would sum $143,727.86.

Please note that financial aid is not guaranteed and is only available for qualifying students. Federal Student Loans are not grants and must be repaid with interest. The current Stafford loan interest rate is 6.52%.

Example student loan for Northwestern College
Example Loan $105,388
Stafford Loan Interest Rate 6.52%
Time to Pay Off Student Loan 10 years
Example Monthly Payment $1,197.73
Total Interest Paid $38,339.86
Sum of All Loan Payments $143,727.86

Student Loan Affordability

In order to afford student loan payments and still meet all your other costs of living, it is recommended not to borrow more than you can pay back using 10% of your monthly income earned after graduation. If you're considering attending Northwestern College, should consider if it will be realistic to make the post graduation loan payments based on your expected salary.

Using the 10% of salary threshold, an annual income of $143,727.86 would be needed to afford a $1,197.73 monthly payment in the example $105,388.00 loan modeled above. This assumes a repayment over 10 years. You can change the terms of this example loan using the student loan calculator below. View statistics about Northwestern College student loan debt and graduate salaries under student outcomes.

Projected 4 Year Degree Price

4 Year Sticker Price

$209,240
Projected degree price by year for Northwestern College
Year All Residents
1 $52,310
2 $53,812
3 $55,358
4 $56,948

Based on published tuition prices, we estimate the current cost of a 4 year bachelor's degree and living expenses at Northwestern College to be $209,240 - assuming graduation in normal time. The estimation assumes a 2.9% annual increase over the next 4 years which has been the recent trend for this school.

Tuition Details

Credit Hour Cost and Price per Class

Credit Hour and Class Costs at Northwestern College
Price Per Credit 3 Credit Class 4 Credit Class
All Residents $1,100 $3,300 $4,400

Estimated cost for a class at Northwestern College based on published credit hour prices. Note that not all schools allow single class enrollment. These prices should be used for comparison purposes as to how much it may cost to take a class at Northwestern College versus other colleges.

Tuition Payment Plans Available

Northwestern College Payment Plans
Tuition Payment Plan Yes
Prepaid Tuition Plan Yes
Alternative Tuition Plan Yes
Guaranteed Tuition Plan No

Tuition History

Historical tuition and price increases for Northwestern College.

Tuition history for Northwestern College
Year Tuition Annual Increase
2023 $35,000 2.9%
2022 $34,000 1.9%
2021 $33,350 2%
2020 $32,700 1.9%
2019 $32,100 3.9%
2018 $30,900 3%
2017 $30,000 2.4%
2016 $29,300 1.9%
2015 $28,750 3.9%
2014 $27,680 4%
2013 $26,614 8.7%
2012 $24,480 4.9%
2011 $23,330 4.9%
2010 $22,240 -3.1%
2009 $22,950 6%
2008 $21,648 18.3%
2007 $18,296 6%
2006 $17,260 5.5%
2005 $16,360 7%
2004 $15,290 7%
2003 $14,290 3.9%
2002 $13,750 5.8%
2001 $13,000 5.1%
2000 $12,369 5.1%
1999 $11,774 4.2%
1998 $11,300 4.1%
1997 $10,850 4.3%
1996 $10,400 5.1%
1995 $9,900 6.5%
1994 $9,300 6.9%
1993 $8,700 8.1%
1992 $8,050 8.1%
1991 $7,450 8%
1990 $6,900 7.8%
1989 $6,400 6.7%
1988 $6,000 8.1%
1987 $5,550

Plan and Calculate Costs

College Savings Calculator

Plan and Save for College

Discover how much will you need to start saving now to afford Northwestern College in the future.

Student Loan Calculator

Estimate Loan Payments

Modify the loan assumptions to fit your financial situation and likely tuition price. Then calculate your payoff and loan payments for a Northwestern College student loan.

Prepayment Option

Costs for Similar Colleges

Explore costs at colleges similar to Northwestern College

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=154101.

Last updated: August 2026