1. Will I be challenged academically, and will professors care about helping me meet those challenges?
2. Will the residence life and student activities programs help me find places to fit in—maybe even places to be a leader?
3. What opportunities are there to get off campus to learn and serve around the world?
4. Will I be encouraged in my faith by Christian teachers, mentors and friends?
5. What commitment will this college make to helping me and my family finance college?
6. What’s new? Are buildings being added and improved? Is the campus “wired” (or wireless)?
7. How will this college prepare me for my career? How will it help me get ready for the rest of my life?

Students admit Northwestern’s academic program is tough. But most—once they’ve made the transition from high school to college-level studying and learning—understand the value of challenging classes and assignments.

And no student has to meet those challenges alone. Northwestern’s 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures you’ll get the attention you need both in the classroom and out. Northwestern professors—80 percent of whom have doctorates or terminal degrees—are known for their open doors and willingness to help and mentor students. And free tutoring by upperclassmen is available in nearly every discipline.

Northwestern is known and respected among other Christian colleges for its tight-knit, highly relational community. We nurture relationships by requiring the majority of our students to live on campus. Students from all classes live in the residence halls, enabling freshmen to learn from upperclassmen, and our residence life staff is well-trained, approachable and caring.

Students can get involved and assume leadership roles in numerous clubs and organizations, fine arts performance groups, and athletics and intramurals—as well as campus ministry service opportunities on campus, in our region and around the world. In addition, our Student Activities Council packs the calendar with concerts, dances and other social events that draw students together.

Students can choose from a number of semester-long off-campus study programs in places like Chicago, Washington D.C., England, Costa Rica or the Middle East. In addition, each summer three to four Northwestern faculty members lead month-long summer study courses in locations like China, Ecuador, Romania and Russia.

Students can participate in short-term missions through Spring Service Projects and Summer of Service. Northwestern’s performance groups and sports teams also travel overseas to perform and serve.

Northwestern offers a whole education for your whole life—one that transforms not only your mind, but also your spirit, relationships, perceptions and attitudes. It’s one that integrates Christianity and the liberal arts so every academic discipline is seen through the eyes of faith.

A Northwestern education is Christian not just because of what takes place in the classrooms and chapel, but also the residence halls, athletic fields, performance venues and offices. Our faculty, coaches and staff are Christians who teach students what it means to engage the world through wisdom, compassion and service. Their purpose is not to impose their faith on students, but to assist students in forming their own thoughtful Christian worldview.

Northwestern is one of the few colleges in the nation that offers a tuition guarantee. That means you won’t have to worry about tuition hikes—or higher room and board costs—while you earn your degree. Also, each year 99 percent of our students receive financial aid. While the amount of individual awards depends on each family’s FAFSA results and resources, the average award is more than $16,000 per student.

Keeping our campus safe, attractive and state-of-the-art means there’s almost always renovation or new construction going on. The Korver Visual Arts Center was completed in 2003, and in 2004 students and faculty moved into the award-winning DeWitt Theatre Arts Center, a redesign and expansion of a former gymnasium. A renovated Rowenhorst Student Center will be ready for students by fall 2007. And funds are being raised to build a $20 million learning commons, which will include a library, technology and writing centers, coffee shop and more.

We recognize how important technology is to learning, so we’ve committed the resources to provide the support you need. All campus buildings are fully networked, and we provide a separate network connection for every student in the residence halls. Now we’re adding more and more of our campus to our wireless network.

Ninety-six percent of our students find jobs or are in graduate schools within six months of graduation. Recent alumni have been hired by Boeing, Christianity Today, the Minneapolis Public Schools and Wells Fargo Financial. Others have enrolled at Boston University, MIT, Princeton and Vanderbilt.

Life is more than what you do for a living, though. Northwestern College’s goal for graduates—expressed in “A Vision for Learning”—is that they learn to trust God, engage and connect ideas, and experience and respond to God’s call. Since 2002, Northwestern has received $2.5 million from the Lilly Endowment for initiatives aimed at helping students explore and discover God’s call for their lives. The program—called Vocare—helps students better integrate their academic, spiritual and co-curricular learning and experiences so they are equipped to use their gifts to meet the world’s needs, no matter what specific careers or roles their future brings.