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Everything we have for Boston and Northwestern, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
Every row, including ones where these colleges match.
| Metric | Boston | Northwestern |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2024 |
| Acceptance rate | 11% | 7.7% |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 11% / 11% | 7.3% / 8.1% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Applicants | 78,769 | 49,474 |
| Admitted | 8,749 | 3,806 |
| Enrolled | 3,268 | 2,105 |
| Yield | 37% | 55% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1420–1530 | 1510–1570 |
| ACT middle 50% | 32–34 | 33–35 |
| Sent an SAT | 1,093 (33%)Fall 2024 | – |
| Sent an ACT | 333 (10%)Fall 2024 | – |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | 89%Fall 2024 | – |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | 91%Fall 2024 | – |
| Admission: High school GPA | Required | Considered |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: College-prep program | Required | Required |
| Admission: Recommendations | Required | Required |
| Admission: Essay | Required | Required |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: Work experience | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
| Average high school GPA | 3.90Fall 2024 | – |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | – | – |
| Early decision | 28% of 6,854 admittedFall 2024 | – |
| Early action | Not offered2024–25 | – |
| Wait list | 18 admitted of 8,996 who acceptedFall 2024 | – |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | – |
| Admission: Test scores | – | – |
| Admission: Interview | – | – |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | – |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | – |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | – |
| Admission: First generation | – | – |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | – |
| Admission: State residency | – | – |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | – |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | – |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | – |
| Test policy | Test-optional | Test-optional |
| Application fee | $80 | $75 |
| Deadlines & deposit | Apply by January 5 · $650 housing depositFall 2025 cycle | – |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | 35%Fall 2024 | – |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | City: Large | City: Small |
| Carnegie class | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large |
| Research activity | R1: very high research | R1: very high research |
| Student access & earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | None | None |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | None | None |
| Religious affiliation | None | None |
| Athletics | Division I, no football | Division I FBS |
| Conference | Patriot League | Big Ten Conference |
| ROTC | Army, Navy, Air Force | Navy |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Semesters | Quarters |
| Undergrads | 18,248 | 9,201 |
| Beds in college housing | 11,767 | 4,488 |
| First-years must live on campus | No | No |
| Men in a fraternity | – | – |
| Women in a sorority | 11%Fall 2024 | – |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | – | – |
| Greek councils present | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 |
| Pell Grant | 19% | 19% |
| First-gen | 17% | 15% |
| Men / women | 42% / 58% | 46% / 54% |
| Part-time students | 1% | 3% |
| Students 25 and older | 3% | 3% |
| First-years from in state | 15% | 19% |
| First-years from other states | 62% | 66% |
| First-years from abroad | 23% | 15% |
| New transfer students this fall | 915 | 277 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 22% | 12% |
| Diversity index | 0.79 | 0.81 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | 59%Fall 2024 | – |
| Full-time faculty share | 70% | 83% |
| Average faculty salary | $150,038 | $182,894 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 5,291 | 2,431 |
| Most popular majors | Business Administration and Management, General 15% · Computer Science 8% · Psychology, General 5% | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 11% · Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 8% · Computer Science 6% |
| Instruction spending per student | $35,988 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $48,932 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $94,523 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $495,254 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 53% | 20% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $56,196 | $57,229 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 35% | 37% |
| Net price, students with grants | $24,420 | $26,830 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $86,363 | $91,290 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $86,363 | $91,290 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | No | No |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $65,168 | $65,997 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $65,168 | $65,997 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | – | – |
| First-years with grants | 49% | 53% |
| Average grant | $61,848 | $64,429 |
| Aid from the college | 48% | 53% |
| Need-based aid up to | Published data end at $110K | Published data end at $110K |
| Merit for students without need | – | – |
| Published promise | Families pay nothing toward cost under $75K; No tuition under $200K2026–27 | – |
| Aid forms | FAFSA · CSS Profile · NoncustodialFall 2025 entrants | – |
| Aid priority date or deadline | January 5 (priority)Fall 2025 entrants | – |
| Need met, first-years | – | – |
| Average aid package, first-years | – | – |
| College grant dollars given as merit | – | – |
| Aid for international students | – | – |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $83,238 | $89,363 |
| Graduation rate | 87% | 97% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 89% | 94% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 88% | 96% |
| Pell graduation gap | 1 pts higher | 2 pts lower |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | 82%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 79%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | 81%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | 87%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 87%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | 87%Entered fall 2018 | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 90% | 96% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 91% | 97% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 86% | 90% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | 85% | 92% |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 86% | 93% |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 87% | 97% |
| Retention rate | 95% | 98% |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 80% | 87% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 86% | 97% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 9% | 2% |
| Median debt | $23,250 | $15,000 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 23% | 17% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $21,916 | $12,000 |
| Website | bu.edu | northwestern.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2024;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, 2024–25;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2025 cycle;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2025 entrants;Boston University (2026–27), 2026–27;Common Data Set, most recent release;Northwestern University (2026–27), 2026–27About 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