Estimate Cost and Aid
Understanding the cost of college
An education at Northwestern is more affordable than you might think.
Northwestern’s commitment to affordability begins with financial aid that meets every student’s need. No matter your financial circumstances, our goal is to remove cost as a barrier to higher education. At Northwestern, financial aid awards are not loans—there’s nothing to pay back.
To see an early estimate of what your loan-free financial aid package might look like if admitted, we have two options:
- MyinTuition Quick Cost Estimator: A 5-minute, 6-question survey that helps you anticipate your college costs and provides a rough estimate of your need-based aid package at Northwestern.
- Northwestern’s Net Price Calculator: A more detailed, 20-minute survey that estimates the amount of grants, scholarships and aid that may be available to estimate the “net price” of attendance. Please note that the following information will be required to use the calculator:
- Most recent federal tax returns (parents)
- Most recent W-2 forms (parents)
- Information on assets and savings (parents and students)
We're here to help
Weighing the costs of college is a highly personal process, so we invite you to reach out and ask us questions. The Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid offers a comprehensive website that includes printable forms, online resources, scholarship services, answers to commonly asked questions and links to other useful websites. Call or email our financial aid office to get into specifics and learn more about our process.