Northwestern College

northwestern college iowa tuition

Private, Protestant Liberal Arts Education at NWC

Northwestern College appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Midwest.

Crowned the U.S. News & World Report’s seventh-best Midwest school, Northwestern College is a nonprofit Reformed Church in America affiliate with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio to deliver 46 bachelor’s and eight master’s, including three fully online, degrees.

For example, the 120-credit B.A. in Art lets undergrads exhibit at the Te Paske Gallery, intern at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, study abroad in Romania, and become Iowa Arts Council Fellows. Chaired by Dr. David Arnett, the B.A. in Medical Laboratory Science builds a 128-credit STEM plan with Sanford Health rotations, Chemistry Lab projects, and Future Physicians Club events for average MCAT scores in the 77th percentile.

Online via Moodle, the B.A. in Early Childhood at Northwestern College accelerates a 62-credit 2+2 associate transfer track of eight-week courses like Positive Behavioral Supports with a Child Care Wage$ Iowa Program worth $2,900 for completion in 18 months. Each May, the 56-credit M.S. in Athletic Training directed by Dr. Rick Loutsch admits six-semester cohorts into CAATE-accredited education with experience in the 6,300-square-foot Korver Sport Performance Center for a 100 percent BOC certification rate.

Other programs include the B.A. in Humanities, B.A. in Spanish Translation, B.A. in Worship Arts, B.A. in Statistics, B.A. in Computer Science, and M.Ed. in Teacher Leader.

About Northwestern College

Northwestern College originated on July 19, 1882, when First Reformed Church minister Rev. Seine Bolks opened the Northwestern Classical Academy for Christian vocational prep. In 1894, Zwemer Hall became the first building for today’s 100-acre Sioux County campus off Iowa Highway 10. Three decades later, the Academy launched lower-division collegiate courses. By 1961, the Bachelor of Arts was created for four-year studies. In 1964, the Board of Trustees approved the Northwestern College name. Fully accredited in 1970, Northwestern joined the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities in 1980. NWC proudly hosted two Iowa Professor of the Year Award recipients in 2004 and 2006. In 2018, Northwestern College received its single largest gift of $6 million from the DeWitt Family for the Science Center.

Endowed for $49.4 million, Northwestern College now employs 83 full-time faculty inspiring 1,307 Red Raiders from 18 countries and 40 denominations online or in Orange City with 50+ clubs like Pax Christi. In 2019, NWC received the Christianity Today Best of Spiritual Enrichment Award. For nine straight years, Northwestern has been on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The Rowenhorst Student Center earned an AS&U Outstanding Design Award too. Forbes placed Northwestern College 484th overall with the 155th top liberal arts education. On Niche, NWC boasts America’s 44th best housing, 101st safest campus, 180th best kinesiology programs, and 231st top nursing school. Money Magazine ranked Northwestern the 514th best value with an $85,800 mid-career median salary. The “College of Distinction” landed seventh nationally in Washington Monthly.

Northwestern College Accreditation Details

On March 25, 2016, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) Institutional Actions Council mailed Northwestern College an official notice that the Level III accreditation was satisfactorily extended through 2025-26 under its ninth president, Mr. Greg Christy. Located 494 miles east via Highway 20 in Chicago, Illinois, this herculean 19-state Heartland Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Iowa State Board of Education. The Academic Affairs Office also lists the following accreditations:

  • Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  • International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Council on Social Work Education
  • Accreditation Review Commission on Education for Physician Assistants
  • Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education

Northwestern College Application Requirements

Getting into Northwestern College is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 1,334 of the 1,959 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for 68 percent acceptance. First-year Red Raiders must exhibit academic readiness with a secondary diploma or GED/HiSET certificate. Four years of English and three years of Math are customary. High school GPAs below 2.0 will require an “Insight Résumé” questionnaire. Freshmen present an average 3.60 GPA on the four-point scale though. Traditional undergrads need at least 18 ACT and 970 SAT scores. Online bachelor’s necessitate an AA/AS transfer with a minimum 2.25 college GPA. The RN-BSN particularly seeks active Board of Nursing certification in one’s home state. Graduate School entrants need minimum 2.70 GPAs in regionally or ABHE accredited baccalaureates. Online M.Ed. applicants must verify licensure for K-12 teaching. The M.S. in Physician Assistant seeks 3.0 GPAs and 500 practice hours with prerequisites like Microbiology.

Northwestern College generally has rolling admission, but some deadlines are published. The Bridge Scholars Program considers students until March 31st. International learners with minimum 500 TOEFL scores must file by May 15th for Fall starts. The M.S. in Physician Assistant considers candidates from April 25th to September 1st only. M.S. in Athletic Training majors have until December 1st. Accordingly, submit the NWC or Common Application online for free ($50 if graduate). Mail official transcripts to 101 Seventh Street SW in Orange City, IA 51041. Electronic test submissions require SAT/TOEFL code 6490 or ACT code 1346. Other program materials include the foreign credential evaluation, immunization documentation, personal narrative, 2-3 recommendations, experience résumé, and drug screen. Inquire further by contacting (712) 707-7000 or [email protected].

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Northwestern College is billing full-time bachelor’s majors $16,050 per term or $32,100 annually. Undergrads pay the $100 technology fee and $57 parking permit fee each semester. Incoming freshmen have a one-time $50 orientation fee. BSN students cover a $225 clinical fee each term. Residing at the Orange City campus’ dorms like Colenbrander Hall adds $9,600 to $10,100 yearly. NWC budgets $1,300 for books and $3,000 for personal expenses. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $44,600 on-site and $35,400 at home. Online B.A. and BSN cohorts spend $335 per credit. The Graduate School charges standard tuition of $480 per credit. However, the M.S. in Athletic Training and M.S. in Physician Assistant cost $700 and $750 per credit respectively.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Zwemer Hall disburses $21.36 million combined for 99 percent of full-time NWC Red Raiders to spear median assistance of $19,877 each. Institutional funds include the Peale Scholarship, Collegiate Scholarship, Academic Achievement Award, Transfer Merit Scholarship, Athletic Scholarship, Worship Arts Scholarship, Theatre Scholarship, Vogel Paint Scholarship, Iowa State Bank Scholarship, Franken Leadership Center Scholarship, and Bridge Scholarship. The Luke Scholarship has a November 15th deadline for B.A. in Biology students with minimum 28 ACT scores. The Presidential Scholarship gifts $13,000 to $15,000 per year if 3.0 GPAs are maintained. FAFSA applications coded 001883 will access federal resources like the Pell Grant and Subsidized Direct Loan. Utilize the MyNWC Portal for current campus employment opportunities paying at least $7.25/hour. The Iowa Tuition Grant also provides up to $4,000 annually for in-state residents.

Search through four accredited divisions for 50+ God-centered degrees at the Northwestern College website.