Northwestern University Scholarships

Northwestern University Scholarships | Apply Now to Study In USA

Northwestern University, founded in 1851 with two faculty members and 10 students, is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is located in Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area with an undergraduate enrollment of 8,846 as of fall 2023.

Northwestern University Ranking

Northwestern University is ranked number 6 in the 2025 University’s ranking in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities. The university is also a Division 1 school in the Big Ten athletic conference which makes the university one of the most sought-after schools for students with athletic backgrounds.

Northwestern University Acceptance Rate

Entrance into Northwestern University is very competitive with thousands of applications annually. The university currently has an acceptance rate of 7 percent which means very few applicants are accepted each year.

Studying at Northwestern University

The university has an annual tuition fee of $68,322(varies based on the department) while house and food cost about $21,126 and all first-year students are required to live on campus for two years.

Northwestern University offers various scholarship programs apart from the undergraduate merit-based Scholarship. Some of the available scholarship programs at the university include;

International Scholarships: Northwestern University in 2022-2023 alone awarded over $200 million to undergraduate students, and approximately half of the university’s undergraduate students received a Scholarship. The university offers generous scholarships and grants to international students as a way of supporting families of international students to meet the cost of their education. The amount offered to students as scholarships depends on the availability of funds and needs. Students who need financial aid to complete their academics must indicate such while submitting their admission form.
Postgraduate Scholarships: Northwestern University provides scholarships for students pursuing postgraduate studies, including master’s and doctoral programs. These scholarships are designed to support students with academic excellence and a commitment to furthering their education.
Research Scholarships: For students interested in research-based programs, Northwestern University offers scholarships to support their endeavors to drive passion for contributing to the field of study.
Subject-specific Scholarships: In addition to general scholarships, Northwestern University provides specific scholarships tailored to different academic disciplines. These scholarships are often linked to various departments geared towards encouraging excellence and innovation in those fields.
Activity scholarships: As a Division 1 school in the Big Ten athletic conference, the University of Northwestern offers other activity-based scholarships including;
1. Athletics
2. Music
3. Theatre

Students who declare interest in any of the above-mentioned areas are eligible for additional scholarships.

How to Apply for Northwestern University Scholarships

To submit your application for a scholarship at Northwestern University, follow these steps;

Submit your application for admission and indicate your interest in financial aid while doing so(note that this might affect their decision to offer you admission). Your decision to apply for financial aid will automatically qualify you for consideration in these scholarships.
- Northwestern University Scholarship
- Northwestern Endowed Scholarships
- Questbridge National College Match Scholarship
- Chicago Star Scholarship
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Scholarship
- Canning Scholarship

If you failed to select the box for financial aid request while applying for admission, send an email to [email protected] for correction before the scholarship deadline for your academic section

After submitting your admission application, proceed to complete and submit the CSS(College Scholarship Service) Profile online via the college board website here using the Northwestern University CSS Profile code “1565” or International Student Application for Financial Assistance (ISAFA) via their application portal here
submit federal tax forms: submit a recent copy of your parents’ national tax forms from. Where your country doesn’t have a tax form, you are to submit an official statement/letter of earnings from each parent’s employer verifying income with official signatures and/or seals.

Note: All forms must be in English language. Where your tax rate is stated in US dollars, your conversion rate must also be stated. More information and scholarship application updates for international students can be found on the Northwestern University scholarship application portal here.