Address: 633 Clark Street, 60208 Evanston, Illinois, United States
Journalism (Medill), Communication, Business (Kellogg)
Established in 1851, Northwestern is a private research university located in Evanston, Illinois, with a campus in Chicago and one in Doha, Qatar. It is known for its strong programs in journalism (Medill), communication, business (Kellogg), engineering, law, and performing arts.
Northwestern University was founded in 1851 by a group of Chicago business leaders and Methodists, among them John Evans, after whom Evanston is named and who also took part in founding the University of Denver. The main campus lies on the shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, about 20 kilometres north of the Loop, and the medical, law and professional schools are in Chicago. It has about 23,500 students and 8,200 staff. A third campus in Doha, Qatar, hosts the journalism and communication programmes.
The Medill School of Journalism, founded in 1921, is one of the best-known schools of journalism in the country. The Kellogg School of Management is a leader in marketing, and the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine and the McCormick School of Engineering are among the strongest professional schools. The School of Communication has a major theatre programme, and many alumni became actors, writers and directors, including Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the novelist George R. R. Martin.
Northwestern works on a quarter system, and students often combine fields in dual degree programmes. The Block Museum of Art and the Mary and Leigh Block collection add to the cultural life, and the Technological Institute is a landmark. Research strengths include materials science, nanotechnology, medicine, economics and political science. The Searle Chemistry laboratories and the neuroscience institutes sit alongside the lakefront campus, which has its own beaches and a lakefill added by students in the 1960s.
The athletic teams, the Wildcats, compete in the Big Ten Conference, and the football stadium is known as Ryan Field. Admission is highly selective, and financial aid is need-based. Check the current tariff for tuition. Teaching is in English.
The Purple Line and Metra trains connect Evanston to downtown Chicago in about 30 to 40 minutes.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Materials, Nanotechnologies, Project Management, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Member of Big Ten Academic Alliance and Association of American Universities. Strong connections with Chicago’s business, media, legal, and cultural communities. Highly ranked schools of journalism, communication, business, and theatre.
Research:
A leading research university with strengths in materials science, nanotechnology, neuroscience, communication sciences, policy research, and law. Significant research in chemistry and economics.
Famous Alumnis:
Meghan Markle, Stephen Colbert, George R.R. Martin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Charlton Heston, Seth Meyers, Warren Beatty
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8200
Current students***:
23500
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
255000
Pros
Top-ranked programs in journalism, communication, business, theatre, and materials science; strong interdisciplinary research; beautiful campus on Lake Michigan near Chicago.
Cons
Highly competitive admissions, can be expensive, demanding academic environment, quarter system can be fast-paced.
Best For
Students seeking a prestigious private university education with strengths in journalism, communication, business, engineering, or arts, often valuing proximity to Chicago and a strong research environment.
Johns Hopkins University offers a comparable education in project management, materials and life sciences: it covers bioengineering as well, and is slightly larger, at about 31,500 students against roughly 23,500 here.
University of Pennsylvania overlaps with this university on project management, life sciences and data analytics, so the two are easy to compare, and it is slightly larger, at about 28,200 students against roughly 23,500 here, and is also a private institution.
Duke University takes a similar route through project management, life sciences and data analytics, and it covers bioengineering and ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 17,200 students against roughly 23,500 here.
Also strong in life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning, University of Chicago makes a sensible second look at home; it is slightly smaller, at about 18,000 students against roughly 23,500 here, and is also a private institution.
In terms of fields, Columbia University is the nearest neighbour, with project management, life sciences and data analytics again at the core; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers physics and engineering as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Korea University, in South Korea, takes a similar route through life sciences, data analytics and software engineering; it covers finance and chemistry as well, and is slightly larger, at about 31,130 students against roughly 23,500 here.
Soochow University in China shares the nanotechnologies, materials and life sciences orientation of this institution, and it is public, whereas this institution is private, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Looking internationally, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in India is where life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning get a comparable treatment; it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
If this institution is on your list for project management and data analytics, Renmin University of China in China deserves a comparison, because it covers finance and statistics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 27,810 students against roughly 23,500 here.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on nanotechnologies, project management and materials is Keio University in Japan, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers astroscience and bioinformatics as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Northwestern University?
On Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois, about 20 kilometres north of Chicago. The medical and law schools are in Chicago.
When was it founded?
In 1851, by a group of Chicago business leaders and Methodists.
How large is it?
About 23,500 students and 8,200 staff.
Does it have a campus abroad?
Yes. A campus in Doha, Qatar, hosts the journalism and communication programmes.
What is Medill?
The School of Journalism, founded in 1921 and one of the best known in the country.
What is Kellogg known for?
It is a leading business school, especially in marketing.
Which actors and writers studied there?
Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the novelist George R. R. Martin.
Does it use semesters?
No. Northwestern works on a quarter system.
How do you reach Chicago?
By the Purple Line or Metra trains, in about 30 to 40 minutes.
How is financial aid decided?
It is need-based. Check the current tariff for tuition.
Innovation, Project Management, Quality Management, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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