Key differences on Outcomes
- 1
Stanford grads earn $34.7K more ten years out than Northwestern's ($124,080 vs. $89,363)
Median earnings, 10 yrs - 2
Stanford graduates 0 pts more of its students than Northwestern (97% vs. 97%)
Graduation rate
Outcomes
Outcomes
Earnings and finishing
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Stanford$124.1KHighest
Northwestern$89.4K
Graduation rate
Stanford97%Highest
Northwestern97%
Retention rate
Stanford97%
Northwestern98%Highest
Borrowing
Median debt
Stanford$12KLowest
Northwestern$15K
Undergrads with a federal loan
Stanford6%
Northwestern17%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Stanford$7.5KLowest
Northwestern$12K
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Stanford72%
Northwestern87%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Stanford97%
Northwestern97%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Stanford1%
Northwestern2%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Stanford88%
Northwestern94%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Stanford93%
Northwestern96%
Pell graduation gap
Stanford5 pts lower
Northwestern2 pts lower
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Stanford | Northwestern |
|---|---|---|
| White | 94% | 96% |
| Asian | 92% | 97% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 91% | 90% |
| Black | 90% | 92% |
| Two or more races | 90% | 93% |
| International | 90% | 97% |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;Stanford University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;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