Northwestern College Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements (2025)

Northwestern College is not selective in its admission process. The acceptance rate of Northwestern College is 87.33%. This means that 87 out of every 100 applicants get admitted.

How Competitiveness is Northwestern College Admissions?

Slightly Competitive: Applicants need average academics and extracurriculars.
GPA, SAT/ACT, and AP/IB courses significantly impact admission chances.
A holistic review considers essays, recommendations, and leadership roles.

Northwestern College Admission Competitiveness

Although the acceptance rate is high, remember that to secure admission to any institution of higher learning, you must convince the admission staff that you are mentally and physically fit for the course of studies. Your GPA, class performance, SAT/ACT scores, and IB or AP courses can help your application stand out. If you do not perform well in one area, you can showcase your strengths in other areas, as Northwestern College is not very strict in its admission, so improving other areas will help you secure admission.

To enhance your chances of admission, perform well in academics and other activities. If your GPA is not excellent, compensate by scoring high on the SAT, and ACT, and taking IB or AP courses.

Additionally, a well-written letter of recommendation, your participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and your interpersonal communication skills can improve your chances of admission.

Northwestern College Admission Requirements

Northwestern College GPA Requirement

The average GPA of the admitted students at Northwestern College is 3.57. Northwestern College is highly selective.

Mostly A’s with a few B’s will keep you competitive. Taking AP/IB courses related to your field will improve your chances.

If your GPA is between 3.27 and 3.57, a strong SAT or ACT score is recommended. You need at least a 3.17 GPA to secure admission.

Can I Get Into Northwestern College Without SAT Or ACT?: Northwestern College does not require admission test scores (SAT/ACT) during the application process and does not recommend that students provide these scores. But it is better to submit the test score if you have performed well in the test. It gives an extra opportunity to showcase your skills and competencies and hence will improve your chances of admission. Check the schedule of the test and plan accordingly. It is advisable to appear multiple times in the test unless you score well above the average SAT / ACT score of the admitted students, as given below. Normally, students may appear in the test 4 to 5 times to improve their scores. But if your score is not up to the mark and is less than the national or state average, then it is better not to submit the score as it will impact negatively.

Northwestern College SAT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for SAT and ACT testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them. The test score policy is already mentioned.

Northwestern College Average SAT Score: 1090
The average SAT score of the admitted students at Northwestern College is 1090 on the 1600 SAT scale.

Northwestern College SAT Competitiveness

This score makes it an easy target or SAT test scores. You need to put average efforts to score 1090 on the SAT.

Key Insight:Aim for the 75th percentile (0 SAT) to stand out. If your scores are below average, consider retaking the test. Northwestern College allows Score Choice for the SAT and Superscoring for the ACT, giving you flexibility to submit your best scores.

If your score is below 0, you must retake the SAT to improve your chances of admission to Northwestern College. It is not strange to appear multiple times for the SAT to improve scores. Colleges don’t mind if you have appeared multiple times, but not more than 5 times.

Northwestern College SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
SAT Math	0	0	0
SAT Reading	0	0	0
SAT Composite	1090	0	0

It means that if you have scored less than 0 then you are below most of the admitted students at Northwestern College and your chances of admission are very few. But if you have scored 0 or more, your chances of admission are higher. 25th percentile means that only 25% of the admitted students have fewer scores than this score. 75th percentile marks the score of the upper 25% of the students. View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1100

Can I get into Northwestern College with a 0 SAT?

With a 0 SAT Score, your chances of admission at Northwestern College are good but the admission staff at Northwestern College tests your all-around personality and your academics. Your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores, and AP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you cannot perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission. You need to show better performance in all areas. An equally high GPA, taking IB or AP Courses and your role in leadership activities will increase your chances of admission. However, if you equally compete well in all other areas, your chances of admission are high.

Northwestern College Profile

Name: Northwestern College

City: Orange City

URL: https://www.nwciowa.edu/

State: Iowa

Type: Non-Profit Private

Zip: 51041

Campus: Main

Accredited by: Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)

How much does a degree from Northwestern College Cost?

The average annual cost of the degree at Northwestern College is USD: 47339. As most of the students receive Pell Grants and Federal Grants the average annual net price a student has to pay at Northwestern College is much less than this.

How can I get a scholarship?

25.05% of the students are receiving Pell Grant and 59.76 percent are receiving Federal Grants. So it is a better choice to go to Northwestern College and apply for PELL or federal loan grants.

At Northwestern College, you will have no problem receiving any scholarship from the federal government. Fill in the FAFSA application form at the earliest and enlist Northwestern College as your choice in the form.

How much a Northwestern College Graduate make?

The average annual salary of the Northwestern College graduate after 4-6 years of graduation is USD 49802. An average Northwestern College graduate makes this much after 10 years of enrollment (4-6 years after graduation).

The average annual income of a graduate in the United States is USD: 40595

Less Competitive Schools

These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Northwestern College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower than the requirements of Northwestern College, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
Auburn University at Montgomery	Auburn University at Montgomery, AL	1051	22
Jacksonville State University	Jacksonville State University, AL	1055	20
Troy University	Troy University, AL	1050	21
Williams Baptist University	Williams Baptist University, AR	1050	21
Pacific Union College	Pacific Union College, CA	1075	21
Adams State University	Adams State University, CO	1066	21
Colorado Mesa University	Colorado Mesa University, CO	1062	22
Central Connecticut State University	Central Connecticut State University, CT	1061	21
Eastern Connecticut State University	Eastern Connecticut State University, CT	1079	22
The Baptist College of Florida	The Baptist College of Florida, FL	1045	20

Equally Competitive Schools

These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Northwestern College. If your SAT or ACT score are competitive for Northwestern College, you'll be competitive for these schools also.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
Huntingdon College	Huntingdon College, AL	1086	21
Spring Hill College	Spring Hill College, AL	1094	22
Tuskegee University	Tuskegee University, AL	1091	21
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR	1089	21
Arkansas Tech University	Arkansas Tech University, AR	1090	21

More Competitive Schools

These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Northwestern College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
University of Arkansas	University of Arkansas, AR	1167	25
Azusa Pacific University	Azusa Pacific University, CA	1132	25
William Jessup University	William Jessup University, CA	1130	NA
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, CO	1150	24
Fort Lewis College	Fort Lewis College, CO	1147	22

Degree Programs

Bachelor Degree Programs

Full list of All degree programs offered by Northwestern College.

Data on this page is sourced from IPEDS, College Scorecard's latest data as provided in 2024, US Department of Education's latest 2024 statistics, Institute's official websites and printed material as well as additional publicly available sources.