Northwestern University GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for Northwestern University, all from its own Common Data Set 2025-26, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at Northwestern University?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into Northwestern University?
Northwestern University’s own Common Data Set (2025-26) does not report an average high school GPA (item C12 is blank), so there is no official average to target and none is shown here. Use the acceptance rate and test-score ranges below as your guide, and focus on a rigorous course load and strong grades. Source: Northwestern University Common Data Set 2025-26.
Northwestern University acceptance rate
Northwestern University’s Common Data Set 2025-26 (item C1) reports 52,676 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2025 and 3,933 admitted, an acceptance rate of 7.5%. That makes Northwestern University extremely selective — one of the most competitive in the country. GPA is only one piece: Northwestern University also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
Northwestern University SAT and ACT scores
The middle 50% of Northwestern University’s enrolled first-year students who submitted scores had SAT 1520–1560 and ACT 34–35 (25th to 75th percentile, Common Data Set 2025-26, item C9). A score at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who reported one.
| Test | 25th | 50th | 75th | Submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT composite | 1520 | 1540 | 1560 | 48% |
| ACT composite | 34 | 35 | 35 | 25% |
Northwestern University admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2025) | 52,676 |
| Admitted | 3,933 |
| Acceptance rate | 7.5% |
| Average high school GPA | Not reported |
| Submitted a GPA | — |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | 1520–1560 |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | 34–35 |
| Common Data Set year | 2025-26 |
Source: Northwestern University Common Data Set 2025-26 · Northwestern University’s Common Data Set page, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from Northwestern University’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA and SAT. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if Northwestern University considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.