Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Northwestern College #1290 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $55,312, placing Northwestern College in the 30.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Northwestern College sits in the 22.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. ---
Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #1290 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private master's university in Orange City, Iowa, Northwestern College enrolls roughly 1,175 undergraduates. Retention stands at 73.5% and the six-year graduation rate is 66.0%, reflecting strong student persistence through degree completion. Northwestern College builds its composite strength on return on investment and affordability. Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #1004 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,336 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Northwestern College in the 22.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution sits in the 34.9 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting a pricing structure that balances access with financial sustainability. Access and mobility represent the lower-ranked pillars in the composite. Northwestern College sits in the 11.2 percentile for access and the 20.6 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution enrolls 24.7% Pell-eligible students and 13.5% first-generation undergraduates, serving a student body with meaningful economic and educational diversity. As a master's institution with a dominant focus on Education, Northwestern College concentrates its academic portfolio in fields that lead to stable, locally rooted careers — a positioning that shapes both the earnings profile and the geographic spread of graduate outcomes.
Published cost of attendance is $49,783. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $27,059, middle-income families pay around $20,572, higher-income families pay approximately $29,539. Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #928 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 34.9 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,249; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $18,000. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $55,312, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $263 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Northwestern College is a fit for students who want a private nonprofit four-year option in IA and are weighing outcomes against cost. Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #1293 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $55,312, placing Northwestern College in the 30.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,336 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 22.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Published cost of attendance is $49,783. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $27,059, middle-income families pay around $20,572, higher-income families pay approximately $29,539. Students should weigh those current cost and earnings figures against the school's program mix before treating the fit as primarily an earnings, affordability, or access story.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Northwestern College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
26 graduates
Business Administration and Management, General
27 graduates
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
16 graduates
Exercise Science and Kinesiology
28 graduates
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
49 graduates
Northwestern College's program mix is anchored in education and the liberal arts — a signature shaped by the institution's identity as a private, faith-affiliated college in rural Iowa. Teacher Education is the largest program with 49 graduates, followed by Kinesiology, Business Administration, Nursing, and Accounting.
Education represents the dominant concentration, reflecting the college's historical strength in teacher preparation and educational leadership. The earnings pattern across Northwestern College's programs reflects the outcomes typical of education-focused institutions.
Nursing leads with median earnings of $71,322 four years after enrollment, followed by Business Administration at $68,565, Accounting at $59,192, Kinesiology at $51,829, and Teacher Education at $47,640. The highest-earning programs tend to cluster in business and applied fields, while education-pathway majors — which form the institutional core — deliver solid, stable earnings aligned with regional demand for teachers and educational professionals.
Several of Northwestern College's programs represent grad-school-dependent pathways, particularly those in education and liberal arts disciplines where many graduates continue into master's programs or professional credentials. Others, such as business and applied professional fields, are high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market outcomes.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the college's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market trends, particularly in education and professional services sectors.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Limestone University Similar quality tier (#36009 ranked) | SC | 97% | $44,999 | #36009 | Compare |
Williams Baptist University Similar quality tier (#36008 ranked) | AR | 83% | $38,484 | #36008 | Compare |
William Jessup University Similar quality tier (#36007 ranked) | CA | 93% | $56,257 | #36007 | Compare |
Wartburg College Similar quality tier in Midwest (#36012 ranked) | IA | 76% | $56,201 | #36012 | Compare |
Guilford College Similar quality tier (#36006 ranked) | NC | 80% | $47,590 | #36006 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Published cost of attendance is $49,783. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $27,059, middle-income families pay around $20,572, higher-income families pay approximately $29,539.
Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #928 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 34.9 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,249; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $18,000.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $55,312, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $263 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Graduates of Northwestern College earn median 4-year earnings of $55,312, placing the institution in the 30.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,336 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Northwestern College in the 22.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Northwestern College #1004 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern centers on education and teaching-adjacent fields, reflecting the institution's dominant program family.
Teacher Education is the largest program with 49 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,640, performing at 1.0× the national CIP-4 benchmark for the field. The Kinesiology program graduates 28 students earning $51,829, and the The Business Administration program graduates 27 students earning $68,565.
These programs anchor Northwestern College's economic profile, with outcomes reflecting the stable, in-demand nature of education and related professional pathways.
