Northwestern Housing Costs
What are the Northwestern Living Expenses?
Make the best financial choice for you by understanding the true cost of college. Start by understanding just how much you will pay every year for room, board, and other living expenses.
On this page you will find:
- Living Expenses Outline
- Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
- Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
- Housing Costs Comparison
- References
Northwestern Housing and Meal Plan Costs Housing and dining plans are priced out separately at Northwestern. The average student spent $11,271 for housing and $6,993 for dining in 2021.
The table below shows the expected costs of on-campus and off-campus housing and meal plans for Northwestern University.
Expense | On Campus | Off Campus |
---|---|---|
Room and Board | $18,264 | $18,264 |
— Housing | $11,271 | |
— Meals | $6,993 | |
Other Living Expenses | $3,240 | $3,240 |
Books and Supplies | $1,566 | $1,566 |
Total | $23,070 | $23,070 |
What is Room & Board Over Four Years? The Forecasted Sum Comes to $108,743
There has been an average 3.2% cost change annually for the last five years in Northwestern room & board costs, compared to a nationwide average change of 2.4%. If existing tendencies in room, board, and other expenses continue, we predict incoming freshmen in 2022 to be charged about $24,467 in their first year of college. Those young people might wind up having to pay somewhere around $26,086 in their 2nd year, and $30,209 in their fourth year.
Four-year students will end up spending a total of somewhere around $108,743 in living costs by the time they graduate, while two-year students will pay a total of about $50,553.

* estimated
How to Finance Your Northwestern Education?
More Details on Campus Living Arrangements
Are you wondering whether you may be required to live on campus? If you are a first-time full-time student, some schools may require it. See the table below to find out whether Northwestern does or not, as well as the on-campus housing capacity.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Are Freshmen Required to Live on Campus? | No |
On-Campus Housing Capacity | 4,409 |
Above Average Campus Living Expenses
Northwestern on-campus living expenses cost students $23,070, which is over the average of $15,282.

Find Out More About Northwestern University
Related Schools
If you’re considering Northwestern University, here are some more schools you may be interested in knowing more about.
- Case Western Reserve University
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Southern California
- Washington University in St Louis
Curious on how these schools stack up against Northwestern? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you!
Check out the following matchups:
- Northwestern University vs. Case Western Reserve University
- Northwestern University vs. Columbia University in the City of New York
- Northwestern University vs. Johns Hopkins University
- Northwestern University vs. University of Southern California
- Northwestern University vs. Washington University in St Louis
References
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Image Credit: By Madcoverboy at en.wikipedia under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.