Quad

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $89,363 ten years after enrolling, more than at 95% of colleges; 97% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.6 years of that salary.

Earnings

Median earnings vs. every college$89.4K
$89.4K
← $24.8Khigher than 95% of 1,762$108.8K →

Earnings climb with time

6 years after entry$76.8K
10 years after entry$89.4K

Staying and finishing

98%

Retention

come back for year two

97%

Graduation

graduate within six years

National median graduation rate: 59%

Everyone who starts here, 8 years later

Students who entered in fall 2016, including and part-time students. The graduation rate counts only first-time, full-time students and treats a transfer out as not finishing.

97 of 100 students who start here earn a degree or certificate here within 8 years; 2 more are enrolled at another college. (2,087 students)

Earned a credential within 8 years

All entering students, by whether they had a Pell Grant.

Pell Grant recipients98%
Students without a Pell Grant97%
How long it takes

87 of 100 finish within 4 years, 97 within 6, and 97 within 8.

Earned a credential within4 yrs6 yrs8 yrs
All students87%97%97%
Started in college here87%97%97%
Transferred in94%97%97%

Transfer students' clock starts when they arrive here, not when they first started college.

National median: 60% of all entering students earn a credential at the college they started at within 8 years.

Do lower-income students finish?

Pell Grant recipients: 94%, 2 points below students with no need-based federal aid (96%). First-time, full-time students who finished within 6 years; entered fall 2018.

  • Pell Grant recipients397 students

    94% · 2 points below students with neither

  • Subsidized loan, no Pell Grant192 students

    94% · 2 points below students with neither

  • Neither Pell nor subsidized loan1,340 students

    96% · comparison group

All students in this class: 95%

By race and ethnicity

First-time, full-time students who finished within 6 years, from the College Scorecard's most recent release. Groups under 30 students aren't shown.

  • White797 students

    96% · 1 point above all students

  • Asian369 students

    97% · 2 points above all students

  • Hispanic/Latino259 students

    90% · 5 points below all students

  • Black113 students

    92% · 3 points below all students

  • Two or more races130 students

    93% · 2 points below all students

  • International208 students

    97% · 2 points above all students

  • American Indian/Alaska Native1 students

    Not shown: under 30 students

All students (IPEDS, entered fall 2018): 95%

Cost vs. earnings

The 300 most-applied-to colleges plus Northwestern University. Top-left is lower cost and higher earnings.

PublicPrivateDot size = undergrads

↑ Median earnings 10 years after entry (higher = more)

Lower cost, higher earnings$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K$140K$160K$0$10K$20K$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80KNorthwestern University
Average cost per year, all students (est.) → more expensive

Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)