Inside Academics at Northwestern University

All About Academics

Heres a high-level look at academic life at Northwestern University, covering the student-to-faculty ratio, the majors and degrees offered, and what online and distance learning is available.

Use the sections below to explore each part of academic life in more detail, or follow a link to the full report on that topic:

• Faculty Resources
• Most Popular Majors
• Additional Questions to Ask
• Continue Your Research

Faculty Resources

At a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, Northwestern University offers far more individual attention than the national average of 15 to 1. Northwestern University employs 82% of its instructors full time, above the national average of 47%.

For the full breakdown — tenure status, part-time and adjunct share, and how the faculty compares with the national average — see the faculty composition report.

Majors & Degrees

Northwestern University offers 112 majors with reported completions across 26 broad fields of study.

Degrees offered at Northwestern University are summarised below:

The most popular majors at Northwestern University, measured by graduates, are listed below.

For the complete list of majors, concentrations and graduation numbers, see the academic majors page.

Questions Worth Asking

Before you decide, here are a few more questions to consider about academics at Northwestern University:

• Need flexibility? Check whether Northwestern University offers the online or summer classes that fit your schedule — about 16 undergraduates study at least partly online. Explore online learning.
• Interested in outcomes? Look at how well Northwestern University retains and graduates its students — 98% of full-time freshmen return). See graduation and retention.
• Will a degree land you a job? Ask how many graduates were employed full time a year after finishing.

Explore Further at Northwestern University

Follow the links below for a deeper look at a specific part of academic life:

• Majors & Degree Programs at Northwestern University — majors, concentrations and completions in detail
• Faculty & Class Sizes at Northwestern University — the full faculty and class-size breakdown
• Graduation and Retention at Northwestern University — how well the school retains and graduates students
• Distance Learning at Northwestern University — distance-learning enrollment detail
• Accreditation at Northwestern University — regional and program accreditation status