Quad

Head-to-head

Northwestern
Hanover

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Hanover's grants cover 60% of its full price on average, vs. 47% at Northwestern

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Northwestern's yield is 13 pts higher than Hanover's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Hanover has 12 pts more first-gen students than Northwestern (25% vs. 13%)

    First-generation students
  4. 4

    Hanover grads earn $4.2K more ten years out than Northwestern's ($53,957 vs. $49,802)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Hanover costs about $2.9K less per year on average than Northwestern ($23,889 vs. $26,763, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  6. 6

    Northwestern is a bit larger (1,175 vs. 1,031)

    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%, Hanover 84%; Northwestern's yield is higher, at 27%.

Acceptance rate
Northwestern80%
Hanover84%
Quad's selectivity
  • NorthwesternAccessible
  • HanoverAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
NorthwesternTest-blind
Hanover
1110–1280
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • NorthwesternGPA and school record required
  • HanoverGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Northwestern is a bit larger than Hanover (1,175 vs. 1,031 undergrads); Hanover has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Northwestern1.2K
Hanover1K
Pell Grant share
Northwestern25%
Hanover26%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Northwestern, and Business/Commerce at Hanover; Hanover has 11 students per faculty member to Northwestern's 15.

Students per faculty member
Northwestern15 to 1
Hanover11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • NorthwesternBusiness Administration and Management, General17%
  • HanoverBusiness/Commerce, General20%

What each costs

Hanover costs about $2.9K less a year than Northwestern on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northwestern$26.8K
Hanover$23.9K
Aid generosity
Northwestern47%
Hanover60%

What each pays off

Hanover's former students earn more, a median $54K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northwestern$49.8K
Hanover$54K
Graduation rate
Northwestern67%
Hanover66%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Northwestern but held steady at Hanover; Hanover got less selective while Northwestern held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • NorthwesternGrowing+19%
  • HanoverSteady0%
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