Basic information and contact details for Northwestern University
When it opened for business in 1855, Northwestern University had only two academic staff and 10 students. These were all male, but women have been admitted since 1869.
Northwestern owes its existence to the vision of its nine founders who, with no land, limited finances and little knowledge of higher education, determined to create a university for the vast Northwest Territory covering more than five of today’s states. They began planning in 1850 and, three years later, boldly went ahead and purchased a 379-acre site close to Lake Michigan and developed the campus at Evanston, named after a founder called John Evans.
From these small beginnings, Northwestern has developed into a leading private research university with a strong interdisciplinary culture and a commitment to teaching excellence. It now consists of 12 separate schools and colleges and is notable for its research strength in fields including neuroscience, nanotechnology, biotechnology and the development of new drugs. The main campus is still based at Evanston, 10 miles north of Chicago, although there is a smaller one in Chicago, so students enjoy all the stimulus and opportunities for personal and professional development provided by one of the world’s great cities. Since 2008, there has also been a third, satellite campus in Doha, Qatar.
Northwestern’s mascot is Willy the Wildcat. Its mottoes are both taken from the New Testament and read, in Latin and Greek, “Whatsoever things are true” and “The world is full of grace and truth”.
Celebrated alumni include novelist Saul Bellow and economist George Stigler, who both went on to win Nobel Prizes, as well as Friends star David Schwimmer, Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and George R. R. Martin, whose novels inspired the Game of Thrones television series. No fewer than four economists and one chemist who worked as faculty at Northwestern went to receive Nobel Prizes. And the diplomat and political scientist Ralph Bunce, who had been a researcher there, went on to become the first African American to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Rankings
Select the type of rankings below to see stats
World University Rankings 2025
Breakdown via year: Overall
Ranking positions 2016 to 2025
2025
31st
2024
28th
2023
=26th
2022
=24th
2021
24th
2020
22nd
2019
25th
2018
20th
2017
20th
2016
25th
Precise ranks and overall scores are shown for the institutions toward the top of a ranking; for institutions with banded ranks, please see the relevant ranking tables for an indication of their scores.
Discover similar universities
Find out more about studying, research and jobs at these universities