Quad

Head-to-head

Northwestern
Wartburg

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Wartburg's grants cover 61% of its full price on average, vs. 47% at Northwestern

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Northwestern's yield is 11 pts higher than Wartburg's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Wartburg grads earn $6.4K more ten years out than Northwestern's ($56,201 vs. $49,802)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Wartburg has 4 pts more first-gen students than Northwestern (17% vs. 13%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Wartburg is a bit larger (1,452 vs. 1,175)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Northwestern has 3 pts more Pell recipients than Wartburg (25% vs. 22%)

    Pell Grant recipients

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

Wartburg admits 76%, Northwestern 80%; Northwestern's yield is higher, at 27%.

Acceptance rate
Northwestern80%
Wartburg76%
Quad's selectivity
  • NorthwesternAccessible
  • WartburgAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
NorthwesternTest-blind
Wartburg
930–1200
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • NorthwesternGPA and school record required
  • WartburgGPA required

Who's on each campus

Wartburg is a bit larger than Northwestern (1,452 vs. 1,175 undergrads); Northwestern has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Northwestern1.2K
Wartburg1.5K
Pell Grant share
Northwestern25%
Wartburg22%

Majors and faculty

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

Students per faculty member
Northwestern15 to 1
Wartburg13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • NorthwesternBusiness Administration and Management, General17%
  • WartburgBusiness/Commerce, General19%

What each costs

Wartburg costs about $1.4K less a year than Northwestern on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northwestern$26.8K
Wartburg$25.4K
Aid generosity
Northwestern47%
Wartburg61%

What each pays off

Wartburg's former students earn more, a median $56.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northwestern$49.8K
Wartburg$56.2K
Graduation rate
Northwestern67%
Wartburg68%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; selectivity held steady at both.

Applications, 10-year change
  • NorthwesternGrowing+19%
  • WartburgGrowing+39%
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