Measures of excellence
Our stats could lead to your success.
100% pass rate
Northwestern’s 2024 NURSING grads had a 100% board pass rate. No wonder they’re in demand by top medical centers like the Mayo Clinic, Sanford Health and Duke University Hospital.
100% acceptance
All of Northwestern's 2024 science grads who applied to medical school were accepted.
Top scores
In 2023, a Raider ACCOUNTING grad achieved a top-40 score on the CPA exam, outranking more than 86,000 exam takers. Also in 2023, 3 of the 5 candidates who passed the South Dakota CPA exam on their first try were NWC grads.
Elite research
We're 1 of just 3 institutions in Iowa selected for SEA-PHAGES, a global effort to discover phages and sequence and annotate their DNA. So far, more than 50 NWC undergrads have peer-reviewed publications to tout as a result of their phage research and discoveries. Northwestern is also 1 of 24 institutions worldwide to participate in SEA-GENES, next-level research enabling our students to discover and publish previously unknown functions of genes.
Top 30 nationally
Northwestern’s ACTUARIAL SCIENCE degree is among the nation’s 40 best programs, according to College Values Online. We’re 1 of just 2 colleges in Iowa that have met the requirements for Advanced Curriculum recognition by the Society of Actuaries. Our grads have typically passed 2 actuarial exams by the time they graduate, and their pass rate is 80% (compared to 50% nationally).
Top 1% globally
NWC seniors competing in the international BUSINESS Strategy Game as part of their senior capstone class consistently finish in the top 1% among 6,500 teams competing around the world.
99% success
99% of recent grads got jobs or started grad school within 6 months of graduating.
Grad school prep
81% of alums who pursue advanced degrees report NWC prepared them more than adequately or even very well for graduate or professional school.
Salary satisfaction
55% of Northwestern alumni report making $80,000+ per year. (In comparison, 49% of alumni from other Council of Christian Colleges & Universities schools report the same or higher salary levels.)
Top scores in psychology
Recent psychology graduates scored in the top 4% on a national benchmark exam. That’s not surprising, since our psych majors consistently present research at national conferences and excel in graduate programs.
