The real 4-year cost of Northwestern University in Illinois
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Northwestern University went from $37,125 to $73,062, an average of 3.7% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $73,062Tuition $71,802 + fees $1,260 (health/activity/athletics).source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $37,125 | – | – |
| 2009 | $38,838 | – | – |
| 2010 | $40,223 | – | – |
| 2011 | $41,983 | – | – |
| 2012 | $43,779 | – | – |
| 2013 | $45,527 | – | – |
| 2014 | $47,251 | – | – |
| 2015 | $49,047 | – | – |
| 2016 | $50,855 | – | – |
| 2017 | $52,678 | – | – |
| 2018 | $54,568 | – | – |
| 2019 | $56,691 | – | – |
| 2020 | $58,701 | – | – |
| 2021 | $60,768 | – | – |
| 2022 | $63,468 | – | – |
| 2023 | $65,997 | – | – |
| 2026 | $73,062 | $73,062 | – |
| 2027 | – | $75,757 | $75,497–$76,018 |
| 2028 | – | $78,552 | $78,013–$79,093 |
| 2029 | – | $81,450 | $80,612–$82,293 |
| 2030 | – | $84,454 | $83,299–$85,622 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $73,062 |
| Year 2 | $75,757 |
| Year 3 | $78,552 |
| Year 4 | $81,450 |
| 4-year total | $308,821 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $268,821
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $157,008
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $22,941/ yr
- rising 4.0% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $97,386
School’s own published rateStandard room and board.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Northwestern University4-year schools with similar prices in Illinois
Closest to Northwestern University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- University of Chicago$77,778
- Illinois Wesleyan University$61,208
- Loyola University Chicago$58,376
- Knox College$55,587
- Illinois Institute of Technology$55,048
- Lake Forest College$54,202
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago$52,604
- Augustana College$49,834
Use this data
Published figures for Northwestern University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.