Northwestern College
Northwestern College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Northwestern College Featured Rankings
- #7 Most Affordable Early Childhood Education Bachelor's Programs
- #16 Iowa's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #17 Iowa's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #17 Best Christian Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #19 Fastest Online Master's Degrees
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa
- #21 Best Private Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #21 Best Small Colleges in Iowa
- #24 Best Colleges in Iowa 2026
About Northwestern College
According to Wikipedia, Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Orange City, Iowa. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America and enrolls more than 1,500 students. In addition to approximately 1,000 students in bachelor's degree programs, the college has a growing graduate school, which includes a master's degree program in physician assistant studies since June 2020. Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It became a junior college in 1928 and a four-year college in 1961.
Northwestern College 's Online Degrees
BA in Early Childhood
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Early Childhood
- Early Childhood + Endorsement
- Educational Administration + K-12 Principal Endorsement
- Master Teacher
- Special Education
- Special Education + Endorsement
- Teacher Leadership
- Teaching History
- Required Credits: 30-40
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Nursing
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1.5- 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Northwestern College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,155 | 80% | 74% | 66% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Northwestern College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $38,360 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $24,506 |
| 30K - 48K | $19,300 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,343 |
| 75K - 110K | $22,880 |
| 110K+ | $27,296 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Northwestern College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Northwestern College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $57,028 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Northwestern College 's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,117 | 1,290 | 827 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Northwestern College ?
Northwestern College is located at 101 Seventh St SW, Orange City, IA 51041.
How Safe is Northwestern College ?
Northwestern College reported 1.2 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most small residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Northwestern College has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.06%. Orange City has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.19%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Northwestern College Known For?
Northwestern College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- History
- Chemistry
- Social Work
- Biology
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Medical
- Political Science
- Communications
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Business
Northwestern College 's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Northwestern College 's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Northwestern College ranks #977 in the U.S. and #4638 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #1383 in the U.S. and #4188 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #1395 in the U.S. and #4458 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #1604 in the U.S. and #6084 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #1727 in the U.S. and #4556 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #1926 in the U.S. and #7762 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2036 in the U.S. and #6054 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2128 in the U.S. and #5669 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2328 in the U.S. and #8173 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2459 in the U.S. and #10391 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2459 in the U.S. and #9008 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2519 in the U.S. and #11090 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2685 in the U.S. and #7153 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2730 in the U.S. and #10399 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #2787 in the U.S. and #9640 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #3091 in the U.S. and #6632 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #3146 in the U.S. and #11649 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNorthwestern College ranks #3352 in the U.S. and #12180 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWho Are Northwestern College 's Most Influential Alumni?
Northwestern College 's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Philosophy, Literature, and Anthropology. Here are some of Northwestern College 's most famous alumni:
