Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·northwestu.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
+2.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
1,053
peer median 1,165
Avg net price
$22,288
-$3.3k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersCampusesCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
625
625 candidates competed
Admitted
520
83.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
160
30.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
71%+2.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
64%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
68%
Full-time retention
84%

Pell equity

8.3pp gap
Pell recipients
65%45 of 69
Non-Pell (all)
73%110 of 150
Subsidized loan, no Pell
77%40 of 52
No Federal Aid
71%70 of 98

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 69 Title IV programs, 12 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 55 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
69
Passing
12
17.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
2.9% of portfolio
Fail rate
2.9%
+2.3pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

69programs
  • Passing12 · 17.4%
  • No Data55 · 79.7%
  • Failing2 · 2.9%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
9
No data
55

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

14
International/Globalization Studies
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
-6.9%
$49,915 vs $53,607
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-5.0%
$37,112 vs $39,073
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+4.5%
$50,851 vs $48,653
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Associate Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+15.6%
$45,166 vs $39,073
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+21.6%
$47,496 vs $39,073
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+34.1%
$52,385 vs $39,073
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+39.1%
$54,357 vs $39,073
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+43.7%
$56,136 vs $39,073

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-5.0%
−$1,961
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+4.5%
+$2,198

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

13
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
81%
$41,000 debt · $50,851 earn
International/Globalization Studies
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
69%
$34,167 debt · $49,915 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
47%
$24,616 debt · $52,385 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Associate Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
42%
$19,000 debt · $45,166 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
40%
$22,497 debt · $56,136 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
39%
$22,858 debt · $58,134 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
37%
$20,353 debt · $54,357 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
35%
$37,707 debt · $107,751 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Accredited since 1973Next review Apr 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 3

  1. Apr 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Counseling Psychology (COPSYD) - PsyD Doctoral programs
  2. Jun 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  3. Oct 2016Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,996
$30–48k$14,384
$48–75k$17,840
$75–110k$22,644
$110k+$28,570

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$22,288
-$3,287vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $25,575
Federal loans
55.1%
In-state tuition
$36,035
Out-of-state
$36,035

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 532 students received $2.7M in Pell grants, alongside $13.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
532
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.7M
$2,668,755 total
Direct Loans
$13.1M
1,446 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.1M
511 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.3M
563 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$5.6M
261 loan awards
Parent PLUS$750K
46 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.4M
65 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 615 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.1%
-1.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
615
Defaulted
7
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.4%
2017
4.1%
2018
5.3%
2019
1.1%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Northwest

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs39
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

300 total completions
01Business
7224.0%
02Education
5217.3%
03Health Professions
4515.0%
04Theology
4013.3%
05Psychology
3010.0%
06Multi/Interdisciplinary
299.7%
07Communication
103.3%
08Biological Sciences
93.0%
09Comm. Technologies
82.7%
10Natural Resources
51.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
1,053
12-mo unduplicated
1,132
Undergraduate
715
Graduate
417

Gender split

Men
38%435
Women
62%697

Race / ethnicity composition

White
59.1%
Hispanic
12.9%
Two or more
7.8%
Black
5.9%
Non-resident
5.7%
Asian
5.1%
Unknown
2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.6%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
151
79 M · 72 W
Women athletes
47.7%
Athletic aid
$1.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$2.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$597K
$635K
Recruiting expense
$3K
$7K
Head-coach salaries
$26K
$25K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 6

Soccer
38 M · 26 W
$795K
Basketball
20 M · 15 W
$628K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
19 M · 10 W
$179K
Cross Country
13 M · 9 W
$113K
Volleyball
— · 18 W
$304K
Beach Volleyball
— · 13 W
$151K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.00
2 offenses · 999 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago1.971 yr ago2.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
4
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

2total
  • On campus2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
45

Northwest vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Northwest selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNorthwest University
71%—1,053$22,288Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Antioch University-Seattle
——771$24,616Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Whitworth University
71%89.8%2,314$26,534Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Pacific Lutheran University
69%78.0%2,797$19,589Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Hope International University
49%33.0%1,025$29,310Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
California Institute of the Arts
67%32.3%1,277$46,080Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median69%55.5%1,165$25,575

Institutions like Northwest

Explore the federal data for institutions in Northwest's comparison group.

IPEDS

Campuses

The 1 campus that make up Northwest University.

IPEDS

Common Data Set

Northwest's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Northwest University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Northwest.

What is the graduation rate at Northwest University?

Northwest University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Northwest University?

Northwest University reports a total enrollment of 1,053 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Northwest University?

The average net price at Northwest University is $22,288 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Northwest University?

Northwest University's yield rate is 30.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Northwest University located?

Northwest University is located in Kirkland, Washington 98083-0579.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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