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Is Northwestern College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Northwestern, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Northwestern sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $49,802 helps, but median debt of $23,249 plus yearly net price of $25,907 creates a tighter path. For context, Northwestern's net price is about 8% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$24,737
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $1,900 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $8,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$25,907
Median earnings 10 years out
$49,802
Median debt at graduation
$23,249
Graduation rate
65%
At Northwestern, a typical graduate carries about $23,249 in student debt and earns roughly $49,802 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $264 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Northwestern is a private nonprofit four year school in Orange City, IA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Dordt
Sioux Center, IA
Worth-It Score: 54/100
Median net price: $25,807
Private nonprofit 4-year
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA
Worth-It Score: 55/100
Median net price: $26,924
Private nonprofit 4-year
Saint Ambrose
Davenport, IA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $24,691
Private nonprofit 4-year
Clarke
Dubuque, IA
Worth-It Score: 53/100
Median net price: $24,479
Private nonprofit 4-year
Briar Cliff
Sioux City, IA
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $23,907
Common questions about Northwestern
The median net price at Northwestern is $25,907 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Iowa? See the most affordable private colleges in Iowa →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →