Admissions Factors

What Northwestern Looks For

Northwestern rates 8 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.

How Northwestern rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

7.5%

3,933 of 52,676 applicants

Early decision admit rate

20.4%

Early decision admits equal 57% of the class

Admitted from the waitlist

Not reported

Email me what Northwestern looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Northwestern look for in applicants?

Does Northwestern consider legacy status?

Northwestern rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does Northwestern track demonstrated interest?

Northwestern rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".

What is Northwestern's early decision acceptance rate?

Early decision: 1,212 of 5,939 applicants were admitted (20.4%), against 7.5% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.

Source: Northwestern’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.