
IPEDS 2024-25 reporting shows a 68% six-year graduation rate for Northwestern's relevant first-time, full-time undergraduate cohort. Its four-year rate is 59%. These are cohort measures, not the percentage of everyone currently enrolled who will graduate.
The reported first-year retention rate is 83%, indicating the share of the measured entering group that returned the following year. Graduation and retention figures do not, by themselves, explain why students stayed, transferred, or left. They also may not describe the experience of transfer students, part-time students, or students in every individual major.
College Scorecard field-of-study figures provide a limited view of earnings roughly one year after completion for federally aided graduates with reportable earnings. They are program-specific medians, not starting-salary offers or predictions of what a particular Northwestern graduate will make.
In the October 2026 figures, the reported median is $66,488 for registered nursing and $62,562 for management information systems. Business administration is reported at $43,978, while English language and literature is reported at $22,253. These comparisons need care: credentials, occupations, further study, work hours, and the number of graduates represented may differ by field.
Some programs do not have a publishable figure, often because reporting or privacy rules limit what can be shown. Earnings also omit important information about job satisfaction, graduate education, debt, and later career growth. Students comparing programs should pair these figures with the curriculum, typical credential requirements, and their likely borrowing.
Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
$46,992Bible/Biblical Studies
$34,240Biology, General
$30,170Business Administration, Management and Operations
$43,978Criminal Justice and Corrections
$34,198English Language and Literature, General
$22,253Management Information Systems and Services
$62,562Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
$25,705Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
$30,460Psychology, General
$31,056Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
$32,918Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
$33,778Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$66,488Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
$28,527Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
$37,944Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
$40,981Theological and Ministerial Studies
$29,273BACHELOR’S Degree
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Health Professions and Related Programs
Education
Theology and Religious Vocations
Psychology
Visual and Performing Arts
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
MASTER’S Degree
Theology and Religious Vocations
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Education
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Data last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.