Quad

Head-to-head

Covenant
Northwestern

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Covenant's yield is 12 pts higher than Northwestern's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Northwestern is more diverse (index 0.33 vs. 0.28)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Northwestern has 6 pts more Pell recipients than Covenant (25% vs. 19%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    Covenant graduates 6 pts more of its students than Northwestern (73% vs. 67%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Covenant's grants cover 51% of its full price on average, vs. 47% at Northwestern

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    Northwestern is a bit larger (1,175 vs. 939)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Northwestern admits 80%, Covenant 87%; Covenant's yield is higher, at 40%.

Acceptance rate
Covenant87%
Northwestern80%
Quad's selectivity
  • CovenantSelective
  • NorthwesternAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Covenant
1160–1380
NorthwesternTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • CovenantGPA and school record required
  • NorthwesternGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Northwestern is a bit larger than Covenant (1,175 vs. 939 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Covenant939
Northwestern1.2K
Pell Grant share
Covenant19%
Northwestern25%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Covenant, and Business Administration and Management at Northwestern; Covenant has 13 students per faculty member to Northwestern's 15.

Students per faculty member
Covenant13 to 1
Northwestern15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • CovenantBusiness/Commerce, General16%
  • NorthwesternBusiness Administration and Management, General17%

What each costs

Northwestern costs about $1.7K less a year than Covenant on average; Covenant's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Covenant$28.4K
Northwestern$26.8K
Aid generosity
Covenant51%
Northwestern47%

What each pays off

Covenant's former students earn more, a median $50.4K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Covenant$50.4K
Northwestern$49.8K
Graduation rate
Covenant73%
Northwestern67%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Covenant got more selective while Northwestern held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • CovenantGrowing+26%
  • NorthwesternGrowing+19%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About 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