Northwestern College Confidential (2024)

FAQs

What is the lowest GPA to get into Northwestern University? ›

You should also have a 4.1 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Northwestern, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

Given early applicants' high level of interest and the high concentration of academic and personal strengths represented across the early applicant pool, our Early Decision acceptance rate is typically higher than that of Regular Decision.

Northwestern admits 7.5% of applicants for Class of 2028.

Northwestern ED Acceptance Rate

The university plucks approximately 50% of its incoming freshman class from the ED round.

GPA Requirements

However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.7 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.8.

With a GPA of 3.62, Northwestern College requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes.

Overall and Subject Rankings

However, in terms of ranking alone, Northwestern stands way ahead of Northeastern. It is one of the top ten schools in the US, according to US News, while Northeastern finds its spot in the top 100 list.

Northwestern University is often confused with an Ivy League school because of its impressive rankings and selective admission process. Despite not being part of the Ivy League, Northwestern holds a notable position in the U.S. News National Rankings, currently ranked at #9.

High-achieving students can be admitted with one quarter of undergraduate study remaining. Depending on the degree, Northwestern may mandate that students submit entrant test scores for the GRE or GMAT. Graduate business degrees at Northwestern typically prefer candidates with two or more years of full-time experience.

Northwestern University has an acceptance rate of 7%. Half the applicants admitted to Northwestern University who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1490 and 1570 or an ACT score of 33 and 35.

What type of students does Northwestern look for? ›

Students who are passionate, intellectually curious, and academically driven fit into the idea of Northwestern. For extracurricular involvement, Northwestern is looking for passionate, focused students, as most other elite universities are.

Northwestern regularly admits students off its waitlist (photo credit: Madcoverboy). Were you recently waitlisted at Northwestern University to its Class of 2028? If so, all hope is not lost. Northwestern regularly turns to its waitlist to meet its institutional needs and complete its incoming class.

The recommended GPA requirements to get into Northwestern are between 3.9 and 4.0.

Unofficially, 2.0 is the lowest GPA accepted into a standard college, so while there's a chance that college admission is possible, it's not likely at more than a few institutions.

Generally, the average unweighted GPA of students admitted to Northwestern tends to hover around 3.9. This means most admitted students were among the top of their high school class. But remember, GPA is only one aspect of your application.

The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.