Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · founded 1851 · 23,000 students · private research university · NCAA Division I (Big Ten)

Known for: Northwestern is renowned for its journalism, theater, and communications programs, along with strong engineering and business schools. The university uniquely combines Big Ten athletics with elite academics on a stunning lakefront campus near Chicago.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #9
QS World: #47
Times Higher Education: #28
ARWU Shanghai: #30
Forbes: #13

Top programmes

Journalism
Theater
Economics
Engineering
Communications
Materials Science

Notable alumni

Stephen Colbert — Emmy Award-winning comedian and host of The Late Show
Julia Louis-Dreyfus — Emmy Award-winning actress from Seinfeld and Veep
Meghan Markle — Duchess of Sussex and former actress
David Schwimmer — Actor known for playing Ross on Friends
Seth Meyers — Comedian and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers
Rahm Emanuel — Former Chicago Mayor and White House Chief of Staff
George R.R. Martin — Author of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones)
Warren Beatty — Academy Award-winning actor and director

Traditions

Painting The Rock
Dillo Day (annual music festival)
Dance Marathon (30-hour philanthropy event)
Primal Scream before finals
Armadillo Day

If Northwestern University were…

As a food: Alinea tasting menu — Ambitious, polished, and expensive, with every course designed to impress. Northwestern students are pre-professional perfectionists who want the Michelin-star resume—creative enough to stand out, structured enough to su
As an athlete: Stephen Curry — Supremely skilled, cerebral, and clutch under pressure, but also a team player who makes everyone around him better. Northwestern kids are the sharp, likable overachievers who can pivot from stage to boardroom without br
As a person alive today: Megyn Kelly — Medill-trained, fiercely ambitious, and unafraid to work every angle of the media-industrial complex. Northwestern breeds polished communicators who know how to package themselves for maximum impact, whether in journalis
As a historical figure: Adlai Stevenson II — Erudite, eloquent, and almost-president—the intellectual who played the game but kept his principles mostly intact. Northwestern has that same striving-but-sophisticated energy, forever the bridesmaid to the Ivies but ar
As a movie or TV show: The West Wing — Fast-talking, idealistic, and relentlessly competent, with characters who are both deeply nerdy and effortlessly charismatic. Northwestern students walk-and-talk their way through pre-law, pre-med, and theater rehearsals
As a US president: Bill Clinton — Charismatic, strategic, and always working the room—Rhodes Scholar credentials meet raw political ambition. Northwestern students have that same blend of intellectual firepower and shameless networking, equally at home i
As a city: Toronto — Cosmopolitan, ambitious, and perpetually compared to flashier neighbors, but actually more livable and well-rounded. Northwestern sits on a beautiful lakefront, blends arts and sciences, and produces graduates who are su
As an element: Platinum — Rare, valuable, and extremely versatile—used in everything from jewelry to catalytic converters. Northwestern students are the polished generalists who can pivot from theater to finance, journalism to medicine, always la
As a car: 2022 Audi A6 Prestige — Northwestern delivers executive sedan sophistication—Kellogg MBA pedigree meets Medill journalism polish, Big Ten tailgates in cashmere, lakefront Evanston elegance, and the understated prestige of those who don't need t

Campus life

Northwestern students balance rigorous academics with active social lives, benefiting from proximity to Chicago while enjoying a traditional campus experience. Greek life is significant but not overwhelming, and students are highly involved in theater, music, journalism, and club sports. The culture is pre-professional yet collaborative, with students pursuing diverse interests from performing arts to consulting.