Northwestern University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Northwestern University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
6:1
Student to faculty ratio
18
Average class size
88%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
Northwestern has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
2-9
2-9
1,068
10-19
1,001
20-29
299
30-39
138
40-49
59
50-99
109
100+
50
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Northwestern University:
97%
First-year retention rate
88%
4-year grad rate
96%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Northwestern University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
Computer Science
Psychology, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
83
122.6
162.2
201.8
241.4
281
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architecture and Related Services, Other 0
Area
- African-American/Black Studies 3
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 2
- Asian-American Studies 2
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 2
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
- African Studies 0
- Asian Studies/Civilization 0
- European Studies/Civilization 0
- Area Studies, Other 0
- Women's Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 116
- Neuroscience 106
- Ecology 0
Business
- Organizational Behavior Studies 10
- Business/Commerce, General 0
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 0
Communication
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 177
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 82
- Radio and Television 70
- Communication and Media Studies, Other 0
- Journalism 0
- Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other 0
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 127
- Information Science/Studies 63
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 2
Education
- Learning Sciences 2
- Secondary Education and Teaching 2
- Music Teacher Education 1
- Education, General 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 0
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 72
- Industrial Engineering 62
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 45
- Chemical Engineering 34
- Computer Engineering, General 22
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 18
- Manufacturing Engineering 18
- Civil Engineering, General 17
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 15
- Materials Engineering 15
- Engineering, General 1
- Engineering Science 0
- Engineering, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 23
- Creative Writing 1
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other 19
Foreign Languages
- Linguistics 6
- Spanish Language and Literature 5
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 5
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 5
- German Language and Literature 3
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
- Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
- French Language and Literature 2
- Comparative Literature 0
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
- Italian Language and Literature 0
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 10
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 0
- International Public Health/International Health 0
History
- History, General 20
Legal Professions And Studies
- LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 7
- Non-Professional Legal Studies 7
- Legal Studies 7
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 1
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
- General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 39
- Statistics, General 29
- Applied Mathematics, General 14
- Computational and Applied Mathematics 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Biological and Physical Sciences 10
- Data Science, General 5
- Science, Technology and Society 0
- Sustainability Studies 0
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 20
- Environmental Studies 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 20
- Religion/Religious Studies 4
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 22
- Physics, General 14
- Geology/Earth Science, General 2
- Materials Science 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 122
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 26
- Psychology, Other 4
- Community Psychology 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Community Organization and Advocacy 80
- Public Policy Analysis, General 36
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 281
- Political Science and Government, General 58
- Sociology, General 25
- Anthropology, General 19
- Social Sciences, General 13
- Economics, General 3
- Geography 0
- International Relations and Affairs 0
- Urban Studies/Affairs 0
- Social Sciences, Other 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 89
- Music Performance, General 21
- Stringed Instruments 18
- Voice and Opera 11
- Music, General 10
- Keyboard Instruments 6
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 5
- Art/Art Studies, General 4
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 3
- Dance, General 1
- Music Theory and Composition 1
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 0
- Theatre Literature, History and Criticism 0
- Musical Theatre 0
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 0
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology 0
- Music, Other 0
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