Northwestern University combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries. It provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth in a setting enhanced by the richness of Chicago.
Learn more about Northwestern:
General Information
History
Northwestern University is a private institution founded in 1851 to serve the Northwest Territory, an area that now includes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota. In 1853 the founders purchased a 379-acre tract of land on the shore of Lake Michigan 12 miles north of Chicago. They established a campus and developed the land near it, naming the surrounding town Evanston in honor of one of the University's founders, John Evans. After completing its first building in 1855, Northwestern began classes that fall with two faculty members and 10 students.
Campuses
Northwestern has three campuses. Two campuses are located on Lake Michigan: a 240-acre campus in Evanston, the first suburb north of Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in Chicago. One campus is located in Doha, Qatar.
Schools and Colleges (with year of founding)
- Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (1851)
- School of Communication (1878)
- School of Continuing Studies (1933)
- School of Education and Social Policy (1926)
- Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science (1909)
- Graduate School (1910)
- Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications (1921)
- School of Law (1859)
- J.L. Kellogg School of Management (1908)
- Feinberg School of Medicine (1859)
- Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music (1895)
- Northwestern University in Qatar (2008)
Full-Time Enrollment by School, 2010-11
| School | Undergraduate | Graduate/ Professional * |
Total |
| Weinberg ** | 4,314 | --- |
4,314 |
| Communication | 1,149 | 38 |
1,187 |
| Education and Social Policy | 362 |
82 |
444 |
| Feinberg *** | --- | 1,070 |
1,070 |
| McCormick |
1,452 | 99 |
1,551 |
| Medill |
681 | 413 | 1,094 |
| Law | --- | 998 | 998 |
| Kellogg |
--- | 1,729 | 1,729 |
| Bienen |
409 |
221 | 630 |
| Graduate School * |
--- |
3,458 |
3,458 |
| Total | 8,367 | 8,108 | 16,475 |
*Students enrolled in The Graduate School (TGS) are in programs affiliated with other colleges at Northwestern University. TGS enrollments by school are as follows: 1,340 in Weinberg; 371 in Communication; 74 in Education and Social Policy; 291 in Feinberg; 914 in McCormick; 135 in Kellogg; 36 in Bienen; and 42 in Continuing Studies. An additional 255 students are enrolled in inter-school programs.
**Includes inter-school programs.
***Includes Orthotics/Prosthetics/Physical Therapy programs
Continuing Studies enrolls approximately 1,100 students in part-time, evening undergraduate and graduate programs. Additional part-time students bring the University's total enrollment to approximately 19,000.
Athletics
A charter member of the Big Ten and the conference's only private institution, Northwestern sponsors 19 intercollegiate athletic teams (8 men's and 11 women's) and numerous club sports.
During the 2010-11 season the Wildcats had 1 national championship, 12 teams in postseason play, 20 All-Americans, 2 CoSIDA Academic All-American selections, 8 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, 1 conference Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, 53 All-Conference and a school-record 201 Academic All-Big Ten athletes. Overall, 12 of Northwestern's 19 varsity programs had NCAA or bowl postseason representation.