Northwestern College
Private College in Orange City, IA. Six-year graduation rate 66%. Median 10-year earnings $49,802.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $49,802 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. Completion is a strength: 66% of students finish within six years. Graduates carry a median of $23,249 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 80% puts Northwestern College on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. With 1,497 applicants, admissions statistics here move a lot on small changes. 27% of those admitted enroll, which is unremarkable in either direction.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Northwestern College →Academics
A 66% six-year graduation rate is the strongest academic signal on this page. First-year retention is 73% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. 13% transfer out. IPEDS does not follow them, so whether they finished elsewhere is not recorded either way. A 15:1 ratio points to small classes and accessible faculty. As a private nonprofit four-year college, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,140 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Net price lands at $26,347 a year on average, neither cheap nor punishing. The gap between the $0–30k and $110k+ bands is narrow ($27,059 versus $29,539), meaning aid is not strongly need-weighted. Most students get help: 97% receive grants worth $23,617 on average. Borrowing is widespread: 57% take federal loans.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 283 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $27,059 |
| $30–48k | $19,503 |
| $48–75k | $20,572 |
| $75–110k | $24,265 |
| $110k+ | $29,539 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 652 of these 1,140 students, totalling $3,948,592 — an average of $6,056 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Sioux County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)