.avif)
In this guide, we outline everything you need to know about how to get into Northwestern University.
If you’re just here for the requirements, click here.
Northwestern University's acceptance rate is 7.6%. According to the Class of 2028 profile, Northwestern University received 50,018 applications and accepted 3,801 students. That means 1 out of 13 students was accepted in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.
Here is an overview of Northwestern University’s acceptance rate over the past four admissions cycles:
According to the Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University’s Early Decision (ED) acceptance rate is around 20%. Over 6,000 applicants applied via ED, meaning Northwestern University admitted nearly 1,200 ED applicants. That’s more than double the acceptance rate of Regular Decision (RD).
If you’re sure that Northwestern University is your top choice, apply via ED to potentially increase your acceptance chances.
It’s very difficult to get into Northwestern University. In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, 92.40% of students were rejected. Northwestern University could fill its class nearly 13 times over with the number of applicants it received for the Class of 2028.
Your application must prove that you’re the ideal Northwestern University student to stand out among thousands of applicants.
We based our admissions difficulty scale on each school’s acceptance rate and how selective it is compared to other colleges. The most selective schools rank as the hardest, and the least selective schools rank as the easiest to get into.
Take our interactive quiz below to determine how likely you are to get into Northwestern.
Below are the GPA and SAT/ACT requirements to get into Northwestern University. To find these figures, we analyzed the latest 2023-2024 Common Data Set (CDS), a standardized document that colleges fill out each year, depicting stats and figures of the recent admissions cycle.
The average GPA at Northwestern University is 4.0. While this school hasn’t publicly released its average GPA, we've provided an estimate based on the fact that every admitted student ranked in the top half of their high school class. Over 94% of students graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
Aim for a GPA of 4.17 or higher to show that you’re academically prepared for the rigor of Northwestern University’s curriculum.
The average SAT score for admitted Northwestern applicants is 1530. Aim for a score higher than 1530 to stand out in the admissions process.
The average ACT score for admitted Northwestern University applicants is 34. Aim for a score of 35 to outperform half of the other candidates.
Northwestern University is looking for applicants who demonstrate a proper fit in the community. Northwestern University admissions officers want to develop a contextual understanding of an applicant based on different sources of information, such as the personal statement, essay, or high school transcript.
On Northwestern University’s “Fit” Factor page, Northwestern says, “Fit is a story you tell us about how you see yourself thriving on campus.”
In a recent video posted on Northwestern’s Admissions YouTube channel, Erick Lopez, Assistant Director of Admission, highlighted how the admissions committee reviews your Northwestern fit:
“Every single piece in your application is equally important … we’re putting them all together so that we can see the greater puzzle of who you are as a person. And really, that’s going to give us a great image of your Northwestern fit.”
Admissions officers look for three key factors, according to Northwestern University’s “Fit” Factor page:
To break this down even further, we analyzed how Northwestern University evaluates an application’s fit for the school.
Submit a supplemental essay if you cannot answer how you demonstrate Northwestern University’s “Fit” in your personal statement. In your supplemental essay, write about your academic growth, intellectual curiosity, community involvement, and personal characteristics.
Northwestern University marks Rigor of Secondary School Record, Class Rank, Academic GPA, Application Essay, and Recommendations as “Very Important.” Northwestern University marks only Standardized Test Scores as “Considered.”
The only academic criteria that Northwestern University marks as “Considered” is Standardized Test Scores. This is evidenced by the fact that Northwestern University does not require the ACT or SAT.
However, every other academic factor is marked as “Very Important,” so you must have an impeccable secondary school record, class rank, GPA, personal statement, and recommendations.
Northwestern University’s minimal consideration for the SAT and ACT suggests a deliberate move to evaluate applicants’ long-term academic consistency and intellectual rigor over exam performance. Northwestern University focuses on your sustained performance over four years, course selection difficulty, and demonstrated growth in academic challenges.
You might not need to submit the SAT or ACT if you can show academic growth throughout your four years of high school. For example, your high school transcript shows academic growth if you earned a 70 in math in grade 9 but a 95 in calculus in grade 12.
Explaining how you increased your math skills in your personal statement or supplemental essay can help you demonstrate academic growth beyond just reporting numbers.
For example, if one of your teachers helped you increase your calculus score, ask them for a letter of recommendation. Mention that Northwestern University seeks academic growth in students. That way, your recommendation letter is more likely to acknowledge how you grew as an academic learner.
The only non-academic admissions criteria marked “Very Important” at Northwestern University are Extracurricular Activities, Talent/Ability, and Character/Personal Qualities. Northwestern University marks the Interview, First Generation, Alumni/ae Relation, Geographical Residence, Volunteer Work, Work Experience, and Level of Applicant’s Interest as “Considered.”
Northwestern applicants must tell the admissions committee in the personal statement or supplemental essay how they fit into the community. For example, don’t just name clubs or titles. Show how your contribution to your student club solved a real-world problem.
Grades and test scores aren’t enough to show you're ready for Northwestern University’s interdisciplinary environment. The admissions team looks at your extracurricular activities to evaluate not just what you did, but why you did it, how long you stuck with it, and what kind of impact you had.
Emily Coffee, Assistant Director of Admission at Northwestern University, highlighted the importance of extracurriculars in a YouTube video on Northwestern University’s Admissions channel:
“We see some dedication come through in a student’s application—so the time that you’ve spent in terms of your activities and your academics … and then we see a community-minded person, someone who’s really going to be a supportive student body member who’s going to come into Northwestern and empower our community.”
Coffee’s statement emphasizes showing your character. Northwestern University is actively looking for students who uplift others and contribute meaningfully to their communities in ways that align with each student’s personal values.
Here are the application requirements for Northwestern University.
All deadlines for Northwestern University’s Fall 2025 admission have passed. If you're aiming to apply for the 2026-2026 academic year, Northwestern University applications will likely open in the Fall of 2025.
To improve your chances of getting into Northwestern University, follow these expert tips.
In your supplemental essay, Common Application personal statement, or activities list descriptions, use an anecdote where you combined two academic passions. Then, explain how Northwestern University enables that intersection more than other schools.
Northwestern University supports cross-college collaboration (e.g., dual-degree programs, certificates, and minors across disciplines). Northwestern University seeks students who will fully utilize and thrive in this flexible environment
For example, reference Northwestern University's music and brain research if you’re interested in neuroscience and music. You could also explain how you’d take courses at both the Bienen School of Music and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, two separate colleges within Northwestern University.
Link these interdisciplinary ideas directly to Northwestern University’s structure in your personal statement or supplemental essay. And mention that you can’t find this intersection at any other school.
Northwestern University runs on a quarter system, breaking the academic year into three main 10-week terms: Fall, Winter, and Spring, with an optional Summer session. Because each term is shorter than a traditional semester, courses move quickly. Most students enroll in three to four classes per quarter, adding up to around nine to 12 classes each year.
Explain why the quarter system works better for your academic goals. Don’t just say, “I can take more classes,” but say what you would actually do with those extra courses.
For example, mention, “I want to pursue the Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences program but also take two full Italian literature sequences across multiple years. Only Northwestern’s quarter system lets me do both without compromise.”
Name specific Northwestern University centers or programs like The Garage or NUvention in your supplemental essay and tie them to your long-term goals or current interests.
Naming specific Northwestern University programs helps you demonstrate your extracurricular interest, which the CDS marks as “Very Important.” It also shows that you’re interested in engaging with Northwestern University’s community.
Additionally, these eclectic centers and programs suggest that Northwestern University wants students who will take advantage of niche resources and add value to each academic opportunity. Mentioning special offerings proves you’ve done deep research and aren’t sending a generic essay. Referencing these offerings shows your demonstrated interest in Northwestern’s community.
Northwestern University looks at how you engage with the school before you even apply. In a counselor newsletter, Northwestern University highlighted the importance of demonstrated interest in the application process:
“We do keep track of whether students visit campus or attend regional events like high school visits or information sessions. We do this so we can tailor our communications and get a broad sense of an applicant’s interactions with Northwestern throughout the college process.”
Attending virtual info sessions, visiting campus, showing up for local admissions events, or even reaching out to ask specific questions shows that you’ve thoughtfully considered attending Northwestern University.
Mention specific events you attended or experiences that shaped your perception of the school in your supplemental essays. Referencing a conversation with an admissions officer, a detail from a campus tour, or a moment during an info session can help your application feel more personalized and intentional.
Research specific residential colleges (RC) at Northwestern University, like the Communications RC and the Humanities RC, and discuss why a particular learning community matches your personality. This is a great way to express your character/personal qualities related to Northwestern University’s internal communities.
Northwestern University’s residential colleges are academic micro-hubs, highlighting that the school aims to build intellectually independent communities. Mention the residential colleges in your supplemental essay to prove you want to live and learn in an intellectually engaged environment.
Use the Undergraduate Catalog to identify unique academic pairings like the BSJ/BMus in Journalism and Music and explain why you need that combination to reach your career goals. Most applicants just pick one major.
Coffee also reflected on incorporating your strengths with Northwestern University’s strengths:
“As you figure out your fit at Northwestern, I would encourage you to think about how your strengths overlap with Northwestern’s strengths ... check out the Core Curriculum at the different undergraduate colleges and see which one fits you best.”
When you show you’ve mapped out interdisciplinary paths using real Northwestern University programs, you signal your intellectual curiosity and long-term vision to admissions officers.
If you’ve faced significant challenges that disrupted your academic performance in high school, you can explain them in the Additional Information section of the Common Application. Your high school counselor may include this context in their recommendation letter if they know the situation.
Since Northwestern University no longer considers interviews as part of the admissions process, applicants can submit a Glimpse video instead. Don’t treat this as an optional step. The Glimpse video can add a more candid voice to your application since Northwestern University values Character/Personal Qualities as “Very Important” in the CDS.
Glimpse allows you to submit a 60- to 90-second video to help the admissions team learn more about who you are—whether that’s your values, perspective, background, or experiences—that might not come through in the rest of your application. Submitting a Glimpse video is completely optional. However, submitting a Glimpse video will only help your application.
Yes, Northwestern University accepts transfer credits, but not every credit you receive from a different institution is eligible for transfer. For example, physical education and English as a second language classes may not be eligible.
Northwestern University doesn’t prefer the SAT or the ACT. Neither test is required for admission, but you should still submit either score if you earned at or above the average of admitted students.
To get into Northwestern University as a transfer student, you must complete at least one full year of college coursework before enrolling and show strong academic performance (typically a 3.5 GPA or higher).
Northwestern University looks for transfers with compelling reasons to switch schools, clear academic goals aligning with Northwestern’s offerings, and a demonstrated fit with Northwestern’s community.
No, you can’t apply to multiple schools within Northwestern University. Applicants must choose one Northwestern University school branch to apply to, such as Weinberg, McCormick, Medill, Bienen, or the School of Communication. However, once admitted, students can take classes across schools and even transfer internally or pursue certificates/minors in other divisions.
Yes, you can apply to Northwestern University through QuestBridge. Northwestern University is a QuestBridge partner school and offers full four-year scholarships to low-income, high-achieving students through the National College Match program.
Applicants must meet strict income and academic criteria and submit materials through the QuestBridge platform by early fall.
According to the CDS, Northwestern University does not consider state residency in its admissions decisions. Since it’s a private institution, there’s no in-state admissions advantage. What matters most to admissions officers is your academic record, fit, and how well you align with Northwestern’s values.
Applying to Northwestern can be intimidating, especially given its low acceptance rate and status as a top-ranked university. However, you can submit a successful Northwestern application with enough time and effort.
Book a free consultation with a member of our team to get into Northwestern University. Work with our Northwestern University admissions counselors to build an application that highlights your strengths and communicates why you’d make a great Northwestern University student.
