Concordia Chicago vs NorthWestern

Concordia University-Chicago and Northwestern University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Concordia, a private Lutheran university, boasts a welcoming community with a focus on liberal arts and professional studies. Northwestern, a prestigious private research university, is renowned for its academic excellence and diverse range of programs. While both universities offer a high-quality education, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Concordia University-Chicago logo

Concordia University-Chicago

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

Overview

Location River Forest, Illinois Evanston, Illinois
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 57.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.8% 7.0%
Application fees $50
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $95
SAT range N/A 1470 - 1570
ACT range N/A 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 43.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0%
Total number of applicants 5,620 47,636
Total number of admissions given out 4,935 3,321
Admitted students who chose to enroll 336 2,086
Yield rate 6.8% 62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $44,860 $83,838
Average net price $18,817 $29,999
Tuition $33,310 $60,276
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,550

Meal plan: $3,880
Room/dormitory: $11,271

Meal plan: $6,993
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $23,508
57.0%
Average amount $51,087
Students receiving federal student loan 64.0%
Average amount $4,744
23.0%
Average amount $4,625
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $11,395
2.0%
Average amount $38,595

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,438
Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
8,847
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students 4,648
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
14,562
Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 38.4% N/A
International students 2.7% 17.8%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 726 4,409
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Missouri Indiana Michigan Florida N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 42.8% 95.2%
Dropout rate 14.0% 4.2%
Transferred out 43.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,823
  • Year 2: $114,892
  • Year 3: $115,033
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $86,536
  • Year 2: $99,683
  • Year 3: $105,927
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,837
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $69,591
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,893
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $69,201
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,510
  • Year 2: $63,855
  • Year 3: $67,477
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,778
  • Year 2: $57,657
  • Year 3: $64,254
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,253
  • Year 2: $58,057
  • Year 3: $60,306
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,265
  • Year 2: $57,937
  • Year 3: $59,496
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,650
  • Year 2: $56,415
  • Year 3: $59,101
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,219
  • Year 2: $59,576
  • Year 3: $57,980
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,242
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $221,242
Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $216,176
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $187,194
  • Year 2: $170,971
  • Year 3: $206,288
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,709
  • Year 2: $189,565
  • Year 3: $194,961
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,478
  • Year 2: $163,561
  • Year 3: $177,652
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,200
  • Year 2: $157,779
  • Year 3: $159,304
Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,321
  • Year 2: $141,586
  • Year 3: $154,556
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,288
  • Year 2: $118,465
  • Year 3: $132,325
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,780
  • Year 2: $111,323
  • Year 3: $130,124
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,760
  • Year 2: $113,668
  • Year 3: $128,046

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