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Northwestern College
Orange City, IAprivate nonprofitnwciowa.edu
Acceptance
80%
Avg net price
$25,907
Earnings (10 yr)
$49,802
Graduation rate
66%
Admit rate has ranged 70%–87% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, is a small, tight-knit Christian liberal arts college that punches above its weight academically. Known for its strong sense of community and high post-graduation success rates, it offers a rigorous yet supportive environment where 93% of alumni feel prepared for graduate school. With a 100% placement rate for recent graduates and an average net price of $27,633, it delivers value without the cutthroat competitiveness of larger universities.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 1,175
- In-state tuition
- $36,710
- Out-of-state tuition
- $36,710
- Location
- Orange City, IA
- Top Majors
- Economics, Journalism, Biological Sciences
- Acceptance Rate
- ~8.47%
- 6-Year Graduation Rate
- 97%
- Average Graduate Salary
- $52,595
- Student Body Feel Safe on Campus
- 82%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $49,802
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 1.9×
- Median debt at graduation
- $23,249
- Graduation rate
- 66%
- First-year retention
- 74%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 87%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 41%
- First-generation share
- 13%
- Endowment / student
- $65,471
Financial health
2.6 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$61,516
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$41,193
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 1
- Per 1,000 students
- 0.85
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 87
- Summer high
- 83°F
- Winter low
- 14°F
- Annual rain
- 29.8"
- Annual snow
- 27"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at Northwestern College?
- Northwestern College's acceptance rate is approximately 80% (Orange City, IA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- How much does Northwestern College cost?
- At Northwestern College, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,907 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend Northwestern College?
- Northwestern College enrolls approximately 1,175 undergraduate students.
- Where is Northwestern College located?
- Northwestern College is located in Orange City, IA.
Admissions
Northwestern College is selective but not prohibitively so, with an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. that hovers around 8.47% based on recent data. The college received over 40,425 applications in one recent cycle, admitting 3,422 students. Early Decision applicants had a slightly higher acceptance rate, with 1,077 admitted out of 4,057 applications. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1510–1560, and the ACT range is 34–35, reflecting a highly academically prepared student body.
Academics
Northwestern College emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and a collaborative academic culture. The most popular majors include Economics, Journalism, and Biological Sciences, with 239, 185, and 127 students respectively in recent years. The college prides itself on preparing students for graduate school, with 93% of alumni reporting they felt well-prepared for the rigor of advanced degrees. Faculty are noted for their accessibility and commitment to student growth, fostering a 'smart and strong' academic environment.
Compare Northwestern College
See colleges similar to Northwestern College →Sources
- Common Data Set: University Enrollment
- [PDF] Common Data Set 2024-2025
- [PDF] Common Data Set 2018-2019
- Northwestern University 2026 Common Data Set - GradGPT
- Northwestern 2018-2019 Common Data Set Breakdown - Reddit
- [PDF] Common Data Set 2020-2021
- Northwestern University Admissions - BigFuture College Search
- Class Profile: University Enrollment
- Complete Guide: Northwestern SAT Scores and GPA - PrepScholar
- How to Get Into Northwestern: Admissions Stats + Tips
