At Northwestern, you build lasting relationships with people and they start to become your home away from home. Lexie Van Kekerix | Rock Valley, IA | Exercise Science

It’s good to have a home-cooked meal every once in a while and to know your family is nearby if you need them—but college can be as far away from home as you want, even if it’s actually only a few miles. Kara Van Genderen | Maurice, Iowa | Nursing

I felt like I’d get bored of Orange City, but it feels a whole lot different. We have our own campus where we can hang out and it doesn’t seem like I’m in the same Orange City that I was in high school. Colby Immeker | Orange City, IA | Business-Finance

The best thing about attending college close to home is having “the best of both worlds.” I’m able to worship in my home church and stay in touch with my high school friends while making new friends at college. Lydia Baker | Hull, IA | Psychology

I chose Northwestern because I saw it as a place that I could thrive spiritually, academically and athletically. I also love that Northwestern is a small campus. I'm from a small town, so it's just something that really made it feel more like home. Zavyr Metzger | Larchwood, IA | Nursing

I expected to be "stuck" in Orange City, but Northwestern offers several opportunities to explore outside the state—and even the country. Mari Langton | Orange City, IA | Social Work

Almost all of my time is spent at school, but it’s nice to have the option of seeing my family whenever I want or need to. Braden Jahn | Sioux Center, IA | Business Administration

Attending college close to home is different than what I expected because even though I’m only 30 minutes away, it’s a completely different culture on campus. Linsy Gonzalez | Boyden, IA | Spanish-English Translation + Interpretation

The best thing about attending college close to home is making it what you want. You can feel like you’re a true college student and stay on campus a lot, but you can also still be part of your family gatherings and things back home. Marissa Pottebaum | Hull, IA | Nursing

Initially I wanted to go somewhere farther away from home, but when I visited Northwestern, I noticed that everyone here felt their own sense of belonging. Eventually I decided that I didn’t need to go very far to enjoy my college experience. Josiah Bonestroo | Alton, IA | Data Science and Statistics

I'm able to go home when I choose to, but I also have my own life here. Kenzie Kurtz | Orange City, IA | Social Work

Northwestern's campus feels distinctly different from the towns surrounding it. I feel I'm getting the "going away from home" experience while actually only being 15 minutes from home. Katelyn Ten Pas | Sioux Center, IA | Nursing

At Northwestern, I have great connections and opportunities that could probably rival those of bigger institutions. Ethan Klompien | Orange City, IA | Business-Management

Attending college close to home gives me the safety of being able to see my family often. It also allows me to work at my off-campus job and worship at my home church. Erin Keizer | Sioux Center, IA | Nursing

There is something special about Northwestern, because even though you’re close to home, it doesn’t have a northwest Iowa feel because there are so many people from so many places who have different backgrounds and views on life. Sofia Sandbulte | Sioux Center, IA | Business-Marketing

I expected a large portion of the student body at Northwestern to be from schools in the area. In reality, most of my friends are from two to four hours away. I know there are several northwest Iowa students here, but there are so many others as well! Sophie Swart | Orange City, IA | Biology-Genetics and Secondary Education