NorthWestern vs Baylor

Northwestern University and Baylor University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Northwestern, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 9.1%. Baylor, a private Christian university in Waco, Texas, offers a more accessible admissions process with an acceptance rate of 48.7%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Northwestern excelling in fields like engineering, economics, and computer science, while Baylor is renowned for its strengths in business, nursing, and education. The student bodies at these universities reflect their unique identities: Northwestern's student body is predominantly white and affluent, while Baylor's student body is more diverse, with a significant proportion of students from religious backgrounds. With graduation rates of 91% and 78% respectively, both universities ensure that their students are well-prepared for successful careers. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional universities and
Baylor University logo

Baylor University

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

Overview

Location Waco, Texas Evanston, Illinois
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 88.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Baptist

Admission

Acceptance rate 56.7% 7.0%
Application fees $50
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1160 - 1350 1470 - 1570
ACT range 25 - 32 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 39.0% 43.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0% 39.0%
Total number of applicants 36,588 47,636
Total number of admissions given out 20,741 3,321
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,271 2,086
Yield rate 20.6% 62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $68,150 $83,838
Average net price $46,039 $29,999
Tuition $50,232 $60,276
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,200

Meal plan: $6,074
Room/dormitory: $11,271

Meal plan: $6,993
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

96.0%
Average amount $21,460
57.0%
Average amount $51,087
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,411
23.0%
Average amount $4,625
Students taking out private loans 12.0%
Average amount $26,787
2.0%
Average amount $38,595

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 15,191
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
8,847
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students 5,435
Men 34.4% Women 65.6%
14,562
Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 43.4% N/A
International students 4.2% 17.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,321 4,409
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Texas California Colorado Illinois Washington N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 81.6% 95.2%
Dropout rate 18.2% 4.2%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,204
  • Year 2: $96,457
  • Year 3: $109,058
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $100,127
  • Year 3: $100,370
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,388
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $98,739
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,072
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,393
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,702
  • Year 2: $75,047
  • Year 3: $82,751
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,793
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $82,525
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,614
  • Year 2: $65,320
  • Year 3: $82,203
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,012
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $75,979
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,433
  • Year 2: $63,522
  • Year 3: $74,962
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,921
  • Year 2: $66,897
  • Year 3: $74,883
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,242
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $221,242
Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $216,176
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $187,194
  • Year 2: $170,971
  • Year 3: $206,288
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,709
  • Year 2: $189,565
  • Year 3: $194,961
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,478
  • Year 2: $163,561
  • Year 3: $177,652
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,200
  • Year 2: $157,779
  • Year 3: $159,304
Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,321
  • Year 2: $141,586
  • Year 3: $154,556
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,288
  • Year 2: $118,465
  • Year 3: $132,325
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,780
  • Year 2: $111,323
  • Year 3: $130,124
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,760
  • Year 2: $113,668
  • Year 3: $128,046

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