Top 2020 Rankings For Northwestern University
A more complete picture of where Northwestern University is the "best of the best" can be found on our 2020 Badges Awarded page.
All 2020 Rankings For Northwestern University
Learn more about our methodologies that drive these rankings.
Top Quality Overall
better worse | |
| Nationwide | 10 of 1724 |
| Great Lakes | 2 of 267 |
| Illinois | 2 of 63 |
Best Colleges For The Money (all undergraduates)
better worse | |
| Nationwide | 734 of 1483 |
| Great Lakes | |
| Illinois | 24 of 52 |
Best Colleges For The Money (undergraduates getting aid)
better worse | |
| Nationwide | 386 of 1483 |
| Great Lakes | 71 of 227 |
| Illinois | 14 of 52 |
Best Colleges For The Money (undergraduates getting no aid)
better worse | |
| Nationwide | |
| Great Lakes | |
| Illinois | 19 of 52 |
Diversity
better worse | |
| Overall | 21 of 2188 |
| Ethnic | 306 of 2417 |
| Male / Female | 50 of 2415 |
| Location | 96 of 2182 |
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 55 of 173 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 85 of 508 |
| Most Focused | 181 of 508 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 43 of 281 |
Area Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 53 of 170 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 84 of 359 |
| Most Focused | 162 of 359 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 40 of 250 |
Ethnic Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 106 of 384 |
| Most Focused | 163 of 384 |
Biological & Biomedical Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 105 of 824 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 185 of 1422 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 63 of 890 |
General Biology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 25 of 820 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 175 of 1379 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 50 of 846 |
Neurobiology & Neurosciences
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 53 of 184 |
| Most Focused |
Business, Management & Marketing
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 200 of 848 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 194 of 901 |
Entrepreneurial Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 73 of 232 |
| Most Focused |
General Business/Commerce
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Human Resource Management
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 3 of 132 |
| Best Value | 61 of 123 |
| Most Popular | 140 of 376 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 6 of 165 |
Communication & Journalism
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 2 of 606 |
| Best Value | 293 of 587 |
| Most Popular | 30 of 1210 |
| Most Focused | 19 of 1210 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 35 of 713 |
Communication & Journalism (Other)
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 1 of 71 |
| Most Focused | 8 of 71 |
Communication & Media Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 4 of 526 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 170 of 1022 |
| Most Focused | 494 of 1022 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 55 of 600 |
Journalism
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 4 of 183 |
| Best Value | 90 of 180 |
| Most Popular | 19 of 342 |
| Most Focused | 21 of 342 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 5 of 227 |
Radio, Television & Digital Communication
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 2 of 98 |
| Best Value | 48 of 97 |
| Most Popular | 33 of 247 |
| Most Focused | 44 of 247 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 5 of 127 |
Computer & Information Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 74 of 601 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 217 of 1512 |
| Most Focused | 647 of 1512 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 190 of 824 |
Computer Information Systems
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 58 of 356 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 126 of 451 |
Computer Science
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 39 of 286 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 96 of 605 |
| Most Focused | 231 of 605 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 14 of 360 |
Information Science
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 7 of 83 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 66 of 243 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 8 of 124 |
Education
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 32 of 706 |
Educational Assessment
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Teacher Education Grade Specific
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Teacher Education Subject Specific
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 19 of 507 |
Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 40 of 309 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 100 of 595 |
| Most Focused | 120 of 595 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 72 of 354 |
Biomedical Engineering
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 19 of 92 |
Chemical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 20 of 151 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 20 of 146 |
Civil Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 35 of 207 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 68 of 208 |
Computer Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 16 of 165 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 24 of 187 |
Electrical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 47 of 269 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 124 of 274 |
Engineering (Other)
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 9 of 45 |
| Most Focused | 13 of 45 |
Environmental Engineering
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 16 of 56 |
General Engineering
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Industrial Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 10 of 86 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 12 of 108 |
| Most Focused | 12 of 108 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 9 of 90 |
Manufacturing Engineering
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 8 of 26 |
| Most Focused | 8 of 26 |
Materials Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 6 of 44 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 23 of 52 |
| Most Focused | 15 of 52 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 18 of 46 |
Mechanical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 31 of 272 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 151 of 337 |
| Most Focused | 168 of 337 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 78 of 263 |
English Language & Literature
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 46 of 601 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 247 of 1351 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 40 of 871 |
General English Literature
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 20 of 621 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 204 of 1267 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 30 of 800 |
Writing Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 19 of 199 |
Foreign Languages & Linguistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 70 of 341 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 126 of 941 |
| Most Focused | 320 of 941 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 54 of 653 |
Classical Languages & Literature
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 66 of 231 |
| Most Focused |
East Asian Languages
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Germanic Languages
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 79 of 272 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 34 of 196 |
Linguistics & Comparative Literature
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 118 of 299 |
| Most Focused | 140 of 299 |
Romance Languages
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 72 of 352 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 292 of 809 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 51 of 571 |
Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Health Professions
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 87 of 686 |
Communication Sciences
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
History
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 16 of 546 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 89 of 1246 |
| Most Focused | 310 of 1247 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 46 of 138 |
History
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 14 of 579 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 89 of 1246 |
| Most Focused | 310 of 1247 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 65 of 822 |
Legal Professions
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 69 of 359 |
| Most Focused |
Non-Professional General Legal Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 25 of 126 |
| Most Focused |
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 32 of 455 |
Liberal Arts General Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 35 of 503 |
Mathematics & Statistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 7 of 470 |
| Best Value | 217 of 460 |
| Most Popular | 18 of 1224 |
| Most Focused | 35 of 1224 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 46 of 806 |
Applied Mathematics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 8 of 55 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 13 of 189 |
| Most Focused | 26 of 189 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 14 of 93 |
Mathematics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 7 of 476 |
| Best Value | 225 of 465 |
| Most Popular | 35 of 1171 |
| Most Focused | 114 of 1170 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 47 of 770 |
Statistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 14 of 66 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 25 of 132 |
| Most Focused | 22 of 132 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 19 of 83 |
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 344 of 1030 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 55 of 397 |
Biological & Physical Science
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 36 of 103 |
| Most Focused |
Science, Technology & Society
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 17 of 35 |
| Most Focused |
Sustainability Science
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 28 of 64 |
| Most Focused |
Natural Resources & Conservation
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 255 of 750 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 20 of 267 |
Natural Resources Conservation
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 203 of 695 |
| Most Focused |
Philosophy & Religious Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 39 of 242 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 96 of 939 |
| Most Focused | 383 of 939 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 55 of 605 |
Philosophy
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 21 of 229 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 78 of 731 |
| Most Focused | 247 of 731 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 55 of 525 |
Religious Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 236 of 540 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 45 of 332 |
Physical Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 64 of 479 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 203 of 1156 |
| Most Focused | 541 of 1156 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 72 of 786 |
Chemistry
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 35 of 435 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 226 of 1099 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 64 of 753 |
Geological & Earth Sciences
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 44 of 341 |
Materials Sciences
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Physics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 55 of 263 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 82 of 717 |
| Most Focused | 267 of 717 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 74 of 537 |
Psychology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 4 of 833 |
| Best Value | 398 of 809 |
| Most Popular | 151 of 1476 |
| Most Focused | 614 of 1476 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 67 of 897 |
Child Development & Psychology
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 5 of 43 |
General Psychology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 26 of 839 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 193 of 1381 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 52 of 833 |
Psychology (Other)
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 6 of 32 |
| Most Focused |
Public Administration & Social Service
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 8 of 400 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 63 of 865 |
| Most Focused | 330 of 865 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 13 of 453 |
Community Organization & Advocacy
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 7 of 37 |
| Most Focused | 12 of 37 |
Public Policy
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 17 of 68 |
| Most Focused | 31 of 68 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 17 of 38 |
Social Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 17 of 669 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 51 of 1314 |
| Most Focused | 85 of 1316 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 30 of 872 |
Anthropology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 32 of 260 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 108 of 427 |
| Most Focused | 160 of 427 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 46 of 339 |
Economics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 7 of 419 |
| Best Value | 201 of 410 |
| Most Popular | 20 of 714 |
| Most Focused | 22 of 714 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 51 of 536 |
Geography & Cartography
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
International Relations & National Security
better worse | |
| Most Popular | 49 of 316 |
| Most Focused | 119 of 316 |
Political Science & Government
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 15 of 591 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 58 of 1080 |
| Most Focused | 121 of 1081 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 70 of 757 |
Sociology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 24 of 533 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 282 of 962 |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 2 of 690 |
Urban Studies
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Visual & Performing Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 56 of 640 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 124 of 1481 |
| Most Focused | 402 of 1482 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 38 of 848 |
Dance
better worse | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused |
Drama & Theater Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 5 of 314 |
| Best Value | 142 of 308 |
| Most Popular | 12 of 805 |
| Most Focused | 62 of 808 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 18 of 536 |
Fine & Studio Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 28 of 512 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | |
| Most Focused | |
| Highest Paid Grads | 63 of 693 |
Music
better worse | |
| Top Ranked | 3 of 370 |
| Best Value | |
| Most Popular | 23 of 1036 |
| Most Focused | 131 of 1036 |
| Highest Paid Grads | 53 of 658 |
Veterans
better worse | |
| Overall | 849 of 1751 |
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Area Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Biological & Biomedical Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 319 of 825 |
General Biology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 287 of 820 |
Business, Management & Marketing
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Human Resource Management
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 35 of 136 |
Communication & Journalism
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 10 of 599 |
Communication & Media Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 94 of 521 |
Journalism
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 48 of 183 |
Radio, Television & Digital Communication
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 14 of 97 |
Computer & Information Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 290 of 603 |
Computer Information Systems
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Computer Science
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 122 of 286 |
Information Science
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 82 of 309 |
Chemical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 69 of 151 |
Civil Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Computer Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 70 of 165 |
Electrical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Industrial Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Materials Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Mechanical Engineering
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 125 of 272 |
English Language & Literature
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 197 of 601 |
General English Literature
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 134 of 621 |
Foreign Languages & Linguistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Romance Languages
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Mathematics & Statistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 24 of 472 |
Applied Mathematics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 23 of 55 |
Mathematics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 79 of 476 |
Statistics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 32 of 66 |
Philosophy & Religious Studies
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 106 of 241 |
Philosophy
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 92 of 229 |
Physical Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 166 of 479 |
Chemistry
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 122 of 435 |
Physics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Psychology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 68 of 834 |
General Psychology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 279 of 839 |
Public Administration & Social Service
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 67 of 400 |
Public Policy
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans |
Social Sciences
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 59 of 669 |
Anthropology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 120 of 260 |
Economics
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 33 of 418 |
Political Science & Government
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 74 of 589 |
Sociology
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 135 of 533 |
Visual & Performing Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 196 of 640 |
Drama & Theater Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 92 of 314 |
Fine & Studio Arts
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 214 of 513 |
Music
better worse | |
| Top Ranked Veterans | 50 of 370 |
Northwestern University has no rankings in this category.
International Quality
International Value
