Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Northwest's yield is 21 pts higher than Earlham's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Earlham admits 79% vs. 83% at Northwest

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Earlham's SAT midpoint is 5 points higher than Northwest's

    SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate
Earlham79%
Northwest83%
Applicants
Earlham2.1K
Northwest625
Admitted
Earlham1.7K
Northwest520
Yield rate
Earlham10%
Northwest31%

Quad's selectivity

  • EarlhamAccessible
  • NorthwestAccessible

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted
Earlham77%
Northwest88%
Men admitted
Earlham68%
Northwest75%

Test scores

SAT total,

Earlham
1110–1290
Northwest
1040–1350

Axis runs 900–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Earlham
24–33
NorthwestNot reported–

Axis runs 20–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Earlham24%
Northwest15%
Submitted ACT
Earlham9%
Northwest2%

Test policy

  • EarlhamTest-optional
  • NorthwestTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Earlham

    and GPA are both very important; class rank and tests are both considered. 49% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher.

  • Northwest

    GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered.

What they look at

FactorEarlhamNorthwest
High school GPA Very importantRequired
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank ConsideredNot considered
College-prep program RequiredConsidered
Recommendations ConsideredConsidered
Essay ImportantConsidered
Legacy status Not consideredNot considered
Work experience ConsideredNot considered
Demonstration of competencies Not consideredNot considered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Earlham College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Earlham College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Earlham College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why