Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Statistics bachelor's degree outcomes at Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · Federal field 2705

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are notably above the same-degree benchmark.

$30,257 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
11.4% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$149,205 / year
10-year scenario
+162% · Strong payoff
Price evidence
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$122,682 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5$77,917Not available
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
29Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

62Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
15Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
31Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
33Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$122,682$87,874 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$29,167

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$14,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$122,682

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$148/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$29,167Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$91,250Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE7.7%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE95.1%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$77,917Year 1
$122,682Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

1.4% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$10,224
Estimated loan payment$148
29borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$122,682 vs. $92,425

$30,257 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Statisticians$119,760 median wageIL estimate · 480 jobs · 15-2041+11.0% projected U.S. growth · 1.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeActuaries$115,430 median wageIL estimate · 2,280 jobs · 15-2011+9.2% projected U.S. growth · 1.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$77,080 median wageIL estimate · 2,390 jobs · 25-1022+1.7% projected U.S. growth · 3.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeNatural Sciences Managers$159,670 median wageIL estimate · 2,810 jobs · 11-9121+8.2% projected U.S. growth · 9.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeData Scientists$106,560 median wageIL estimate · 10,520 jobs · 15-2051+34.6% projected U.S. growth · 24.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMathematicians$130,970 median wageIL estimate · 60 jobs · 15-2021+0.6% projected U.S. growth · 0.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeSurvey Researchers$54,080 median wageIL estimate · 320 jobs · 19-3022-4.8% projected U.S. growth · 0.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago

$7,507 higher earnings · $14,307 lower annual net price

Earnings
$130,189
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$14,860
View outcomes →
Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$14,812 lower annual net price

Earnings
$105,978
Debt
$19,394
Annual net price
$14,355
View outcomes →
Chicago, IL

University of Illinois Chicago

$18,193 lower annual net price

Earnings
$68,585
Debt
$22,945
Annual net price
$10,974
View outcomes →
Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

$108,194 higher earnings · $10,101 lower annual net price

Earnings
$230,876
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$19,066
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

Not reported observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →