Background
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.
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 part 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
Two campuses 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 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 (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, 2007-08 | |||
| School | Undergraduate | Graduate/ Professional | Total |
| Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences | 4,149 | 1,503 | 5,652 |
| School of Communication | 1,193 | 403 | 1,596 |
| School of Education and Social Policy | 275 | 152 | 427 |
| McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science | 1,394 | 796 | 2,190 |
| Medill School of Journalism | 681 | 334 | 1,015 |
| School of Law | 947 | 947 | |
| Kellogg School of Management | 1,925 | 1,925 | |
| Feinberg School of Medicine | 1,224 | 1,224 | |
| Bienen School of Music | 408 | 247 | 655 |
| Total | 8,100 | 7,531 | 15,631 |
Full-time graduate students are also enrolled in the Graduate School.
The School of 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 17,000.
Undergraduate Admissions
First-year student applications, acceptance, and enrollment (Fall 2007)
| Applications | 21,930 |
| Admitted | 5,872 |
| Enrolled | 1,981 |
Profile of First-year Class (Fall 2007) | |
| Gender | |
| Male | 46.7% |
| Female | 53.3% |
| Ethnic identity | |
| White | 56.3% |
| Asian American | 19.2% |
| Hispanic | 7.4% |
| African American | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.2% |
| Foreign citizens | 4.7% |
| Other and unknown | 6.6% |
| Geographic origin | |
| Illinois | 25.0% |
| Midwest (including Illinois) | 42.6% |
| Middle States | 17.5% |
| West | 13.9% |
| South | 9.7% |
| International | 6.3% |
| New England | 4.7% |
| Southwest | 5.4% |
| Mean high school rank | 94.3 percentile |
| Middle 50% |
|
| ACT Composite |
30–34 |
| SAT Verbal | 670–750 |
| SAT Math | 680–770 |
Degrees Conferred (2005-06) | |
| Bachelor's | 2,098 |
| Master's | 2,615 |
| Professional | 414 |
| Doctorates | 423 |
| Certificates | 90 |
Graduation rate
93 percent within six years
Faculty
Approximately 2,500 full-time faculty. Faculty members include Tony Award winners, MacArthur Fellowship recipients, and members of numerous honorary and professional societies, including the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and American Council of Learned Societies.
Full-time Faculty by School, 2007-08 | |
| School | Faculty |
| Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences | 621 |
| School of Communication | 128 |
| School of Education and Social Policy | 40 |
| McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science |
193 |
| Medill School of Journalism | 56 |
| School of Law | 97 |
| Kellogg School of Management | 159 |
| Feinberg School of Medicine | 1,766 |
| Bienen School of Music | 65 |
Employment
Approximately 7,100 faculty and staff
Research (2007-08)
Total awards and grants of approximately $439 million.
Libraries
More than 4 million volumes, 3.9 million microforms, and 38,000 current periodicals and serials. More than 480 databases and 3,600 electronic journals.
Alumni
Approximately 190,000 alumni, including leaders in business, government, law, science, education, medicine, media, and the performing arts. Prominent alumni include
- Zach Braff, actor, writer, and director
- Elisabeth Bumiller, reporter, New York Times
- Stephen Colbert, TV comedian
- Douglas Conant, president and CEO, Campbell Soup Co.
- Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff for President Barack Obama
- Joe Girardi, manager, New York Yankees
- Heather Headley, Tony Award-winning actress, star of The Lion King and Aida
- Garry Marshall, producer, writer, and director
- Patrick Ryan, chairman, Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee
- David Schwimmer, actor
- David Skorton, president, Cornell University
- Graham Spanier, president, Pennsylvania State University
- John Paul Stevens, U.S. Supreme Court justice
- Edward J. Weiler, NASA astrophysicist and administrator
- Julia Wallace, editor, Atlanta Journal Constitution
- Wayne Watson, chancellor, Chicago City Colleges
- Mary Zimmerman, Northwestern professor and Tony Award-winning theater director
Distinctions
Northwestern is recognized both nationally and internationally for the quality of its educational programs at all levels. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the University's undergraduate programs among the best in the country. Among graduate programs, the Kellogg School of Management regularly ranks among the top five business schools in the country for both its traditional curriculum and its executive master's program. U.S. News & World Report rankings placed Northwestern's School of Law in the top 10, the Feinberg School of Medicine in the top 20, and the Feinberg School's Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences in the top 10.
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 2007–08 season the Wildcats had 1 NCAA team champion, 1 NCAA individual championship, 3 conference team titles, 13 first-team All-Americans, 3 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, 3 conference Coaches of the Year and 6 Players of the Year, and 50 All-Conference and 156 Academic All-Big Ten Athletes. Eight Wildcat teams advanced to NCAA postseason competition, including the women's lacrosse team, which captured its fourth consecutive NCAA championship. Wrestler Dustin Fox won the national championship in the heavyweight division for Northwestern, marking the University’s second straight year with an individual wrestling titlist and the Wildcats’ fourth consecutive year with an NCAA individual crown in any sport.
University Budget 2008-09
Revenues (in millions of dollars) | |
| Tuition and Fees | $671.8 |
| Financial Aid | (230.4) |
| Grants and Contracts - Direct | 304.6 |
| Grants and Contracts - Indirect | 82.8 |
| Endowment Distribution | 272.5 |
| Other Investment Income | 48.1 |
| Gifts | 78.0 |
| Restricted Funds Availed | ---- |
| Sales and Services | 278.3 |
| Appropriation | ---- |
| Total Revenues/Transfers | $1,505.8 |
Expenses (in millions of dollars) | |
| Academic Salaries | $351.5 |
| Staff and Student Salaries | 238.2 |
| Employee Benefits | 134.0 |
| Service and Professional Fees | 184.6 |
| Maintenance, Utilities, and Equipment | 169.1 |
| Other | 268.5 |
| Total Expenses | $1,345.8 |
| Transfers to Capital Projects and Reserves | (160.0) |
| Surplus/(Deficit) | (0.0) |
Endowment
As of June 30, 2008, Northwestern's endowment and other trust funds totaled approximately $7.6 billion.
Tuition and Fees (2008-09)
| Undergraduate | $36,756 |
| Graduate School | $36,756 |
| Communication (graduate) |
$31,830 |
| Law School | $45,062 |
| Kellogg School of Management | $46,791 |
| Feinberg School of Medicine | $41,926 |
| Medill School of Journalism (graduate) |
$32,322 |
Gifts to Northwestern (year ending August 31, 2006)
| Group | Amount in millions |
| Alumni | $51.5 |
| Nonalumni | 118.4 |
| Professional foundations | 30.3 |
| Corporations | 22.8 |
| Other organizations | 31.9 |
| Total | $254.9 |
University Officers
Henry S. Bienen, President
Daniel I. Linzer, Provost
Eugene S. Sunshine, Senior Vice President for Business and Finance
William J. Banis, Vice President for Student Affairs
Thomas G. Cline, Vice President and General Counsel
Alan K. Cubbage, Vice President for University Relations
Marilyn McCoy, Vice President for Administration and Planning
William H. McLean, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer
Sarah R. Pearson, Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development
Morteza A. Rahimi, Vice President for Information Technology
Joseph T. Walsh, Jr., Vice President for Research
Deans
Thomas F. Gibbons, School of Continuing Studies
Dipak Jain, J. L. Kellogg School of Management
J. Larry Jameson, Feinberg School of Medicine
John Lavine, Medill School of Journalism
Sarah Mangelsdorf, Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Toni-Marie Montgomery, Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music
Barbara J. O'Keefe, School of Communication
Julio Ottino, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Penelope L. Peterson, School of Education and Social Policy
David E. Van Zandt, School of Law
Andrew B. Wachtel, Graduate School