by our College Data Analytics TeamGet the facts about Northwestern University Graduate School. Learn how it ranks, what graduate degree programs it offers, how diverse it is, and much more. Use the following list to jump to the section on the page with details on that topic.
College Factual produces its Best Quality Schools rankings on a yearly basis to recognize those graduate schools that provide an excellent educational experience and are dedicated to helping their students succeed.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
Northwestern University took the #1 spot in College Factual’s 2026 Best Schools for Master’s Degrees ranking. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the ranking looked at 4,630 schools.In order to earn this #1 rank, the school had to do quite well in the categories mentioned above.As a result, Northwestern is a recipient of this year’s Best Master’s Schools badge.In addition, Northwestern took the #1 spot for Best Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois.
Of the 4,630 institutions of higher learning that were examined in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, Northwestern came in at #1.To earn this coveted #1 rank, the school excelled in the categories mentioned above.Northwestern was awarded this year’s Best Doctorate Schools badge for this accomplishment.For the Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Illinois, Northwestern came in at #1.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingIn College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, Northwestern took the #1 spot out of 4,630 schools. In addition, Northwestern took the #1 spot for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois.
Out of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, Northwestern came in at #1. In addition, Northwestern took the #1 spot for Best Graduate Schools in Illinois.
Around 14,457 graduate students chose to attend Northwestern University during the most recent year for which we have data.College Factual looked at the demographics of these students to determine how diverse the population is.Here is what we found.
Women make up 55.4% of the total graduate student body at Northwestern while men make up 44.6%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
About 28.6% of the graduate students who attend Northwestern are from a racial-ethnic minority group*.The school attracts students from outside the U.S., too. Around 28.8% of graduate students hail from another country.For more details on graduate school diversity at the school, check out the chart below. If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a page with more details.
The average tuition and fees for graduate students is shown below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $76,704 | $76,704 |
| Fees | $828 | $828 |
The typical graduate student at Northwestern who borrowed carries a median debt of $16,857.
The average early-career salary for master’s degree recipients from Northwestern is $164,829.
Doctoral degree recipients from Northwestern earn an average early-career salary of $97,014.
The average early-career salary for graduate certificate recipients from Northwestern is $93,468.
Professional degree recipients from Northwestern earn an average early-career salary of $231,090.
Early-career pay varies by field of study. The following table shows the graduate fields of study at Northwestern with the highest average early-career salaries for recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Science | $260,814 |
| Law | $256,851 |
| Business & Commerce | $238,218 |
| Other Engineering | $232,652 |
| Business Administration & Management | $227,307 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $219,145 |
| Public Health | $183,592 |
| Legal Research | $177,387 |
| Management Sciences & Methods | $162,247 |
| Chemistry | $161,473 |
Located in Evanston, Illinois, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution.The surrounding area of the school is a good match for students who enjoy city life. Get more details about the location of Northwestern University.
Contact details for Northwestern are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208 |
| Phone: | 847-491-3741 |
| Website: | www.northwestern.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/NorthwesternU |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/northwesternu |
About 15.7% of the graduate students at Northwestern University took at least one online class.Approximately 5.4% of grad students took all their classes online during that same time period.
Listed here are the degree programs in which the school awarded master’s degrees.
As with the master’s degree programs, only the programs that awarded doctorate degrees are shown here.
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Area Studies | 2 | — |
| Behavioral Science | 2 | — |
| Biotechnology | 7 | — |
| Classical Languages & Literature | 5 | — |
| Cognitive Science | 4 | — |
| Communication & Media Studies | 1 | — |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 9 | — |
| Cultural Studies & Analysis | 14 | — |
| Educational Administration | 6 | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 1 | — |
| Ethnic Studies | 8 | — |
| Health Sciences & Services | 3 | — |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 1 | — |
| Human Resource Management | 17 | — |
| International Studies | 1 | — |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 58 | $93,468 |
| Systems Theory | 1 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Northwestern University awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Sciences | 21 | — |
| Law | 293 | $256,851 |
| Medicine | 141 | $132,646 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 87 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Northwestern University awarded a post-masters certificate.
| Post-Masters Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| General English Literature | 1 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 4 | — |
| Health Sciences & Services | 5 | — |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 2 | — |
| Legal Research | 17 | — |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 1 | — |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 16 | — |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 1 | — |
| Other Science Technologies | 1 | — |
| Public Administration | 1 | — |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 7 | — |
| Radio, TV & Digital Communication | 3 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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