Student Population at Northwestern
Total Enrollment
23,161
Undergraduate
8,993
Graduate
14,168
Online Enrollment
1,123
Men Students
10,711
Women Students
12,450
For the academic year 2023-2024, a total of 23,161 students have enrolled at Northwestern University - 8,993 undergraduate and 14,168 graduate.
By gender, 10,711 male and 12,450 female students are attending Northwestern University. By attendance status, there are 19,264 full-time students and 3,897 part-time students.
The number of students at Northwestern University is very large compared to Private (not-for-profit), 4-Years Colleges in Illinois. Compared to similar schools in rankings such as University of Chicago and Duke University, its population is very large (average population is 13,992).
Northwestern University offers online degree/certificate programs and 1,123 students enrolled in online programs.
*Gender, Race, Age, and Online population based on 2022-2023 data.
Enrollment Comparison Chart
The below chart compares the student population between Northwestern University and similar colleges.
Enrollment by Gender/Attending Status
By gender, there are 10,711 male and 12,450 female students attending Northwestern. The male-to-female student ratio is 0.86 to 1 and the ratio is than national average (the national average is 0.75 to 1).
The following table and chart show the student population by gender and attending status at Northwestern.
| Total | Full-time | Part-time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 8,993 | 8,656 | 337 |
| Men | 4,126 | 3,990 | 136 |
| Women | 4,867 | 4,666 | 201 |
| Total | Full-time | Part-time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 14,168 | 10,608 | 3,560 |
| Men | 6,585 | 4,906 | 1,679 |
| Women | 7,583 | 5,702 | 1,881 |
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
By race/ethnicity, there are 8,560 White students (36.96%) and 3,697 Asian students (15.96%) at Northwestern University(top 2 most races/ethnicities). The following table summarizes the population diversity by race at Northwestern University.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 10 | 3 | 7 |
| Asian | 1,859 | 886 | 973 |
| Black or African American | 596 | 224 | 372 |
| Hispanic | 1,261 | 580 | 681 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| White | 3,343 | 1,569 | 1,774 |
| Two or More Races | 629 | 266 | 363 |
| Race/Ethnicity Unknown | 373 | 154 | 219 |
| Total | 8,993 | 4,126 | 4,867 |
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| Asian | 1,838 | 852 | 986 |
| Black or African American | 700 | 273 | 427 |
| Hispanic | 1,069 | 452 | 617 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| White | 5,217 | 2,428 | 2,789 |
| Two or More Races | 430 | 177 | 253 |
| Race/Ethnicity Unknown | 1,013 | 312 | 701 |
| Total | 14,168 | 6,585 | 7,583 |
Online Student Population
At Northwestern University, 2,717 students (11.73% of total enrollment) take online classes to get their degrees. Among them, 1,123 students enrolled exclusively in online classes (i.e. no off-line attendance required) and others are taking online courses with off-line courses. The following tables describe the number of students who enrolled in one or more online courses.
By location of enrolled students, 323 students live in Illinois where Northwestern University is located in and 672 students have enrolled from other states.
| Total | Undergraduate | Graduate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 23,161 | 8,993 | 14,168 |
| Enrolled Exclusively in Online Classes | 1,123 | 0 | 1,123 |
| Enrolled Some in Online Classes | 1,594 | 18 | 1,576 |
| Not Enrolled in Online Classes | 20,444 | 8,975 | 11,469 |
| Total | Undergraduate | Graduate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total (Enrolled Excl.) | 1,123 | 0 | 1,123 |
| Illinois Residents | 323 | 0 | 323 |
| Other State in U.S. | 672 | 0 | 672 |
| Outside of U.S. | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Unknown | 122 | 0 | 122 |