by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Northwestern College, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The cost of attendance at Northwestern College comes to about $48,447.00 a year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $36,710.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,737.00 |
| Total cost | $48,447.00 |
| That is 48% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $48,447.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$23,876.00 |
| Net price | $24,571.00 |
| That is 25% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $48,447.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$22,724.00 |
| Net price | $25,723.00 |
| That is 22% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page and room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 3.0% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $26,497.00 | $25,310.00 | $49,904.00 |
| Senior year | $28,961.00 | $27,664.00 | $54,545.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $110,867.00 | $105,901.00 | $208,807.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $42,236.00 | $40,345.00 | $79,548.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,276.00 | $1,219.00 | $2,403.00 |
| Total amount paid | $153,103.00 | $146,246.00 | $288,355.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $26,497.00 | $25,310.00 | $49,904.00 |
| Senior year | $27,294.00 | $26,072.00 | $51,406.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $53,791.00 | $51,382.00 | $101,310.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,492.00 | $19,575.00 | $38,596.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $619.00 | $591.00 | $1,166.00 |
| Total amount paid | $74,283.00 | $70,956.00 | $139,906.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $25,907.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $23,519.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $21,342.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $22,811.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $20,674.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $21,234.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $26,036.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Northwestern College Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
Typical debt at graduation from Northwestern College amounts to $16,791.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $8,000.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,791.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $33,250.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,453.00 |
| Middle income | $15,060.00 |
| High income | $19,875.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,849.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,886.00 |
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of Northwestern College is $4,000.00. This school carries a federal Pell-debt-inequity flag.
The federal default-rate tier for Northwestern College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 1.6% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Northwestern College come to $58,524,369.00 over 4,332 borrowers.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 13 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $16,565.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
The figures above are a starting point — as you weigh Northwestern College, think through the questions below:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.