Northwestern University Transfers: 2024 Requirements, Dates, GPAs & More

This is the complete guide for transferring to Northwestern University. We suggest you read until the end - you can also use the below calculator to estimate your likelihood of being able to transfer to Northwestern University.

What are your chances at Northwestern University?

Your SAT Score
on a 4.0 scale

This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at Northwestern University or any other U.S. college

Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

*or select a school above for a specific calculation

Need chances at another college?

I get it - transferring colleges can be confusing, time-consuming and overwhelming. You are not alone. In fact, more than 700,000 students transfer colleges every year.

At Northwestern University, 15.27% of the entire student body are transfer students, so you won’t be alone.

To read about regular admission requirements for Northwestern University, click here

What are the transfer requirements for Northwestern University?

Northwestern University requires a number of completed documents for consideration. The table below summarizes the most important pieces of information:

Admission Item Required?
High School Transcript Required of All
College Transcript Required of All
Essay or Personal Statement Required of All
Interview Not Required
Standardized Test Scores Required of All
Statement of Good Standing from Prior Institution Required of All

In addition to the above requirements, Northwestern University also requires a minimum number of credits completed to apply to be a transfer student.

Northwestern University requires a minimum of 24 credits.

What are Northwestern University’s Transfer Deadlines?

Many universities accept transfer applications during each semester. For this reason, we break down Northwestern University transfer deadline by fall, winter, spring and summer.

Closing Date Reported Deadline
Fall Transfer Deadline March 15
Winter Transfer Deadline
Spring Transfer Deadline
Summer Transfer Deadline

Waiting until the last minute to finalize your application could result in a silly mistake.

We recommend you complete your application at least 1 week before the required deadline.

In fact, take a full 2 day break from looking at anything related to your application and then come back to look for errors. I bet you’ll find a few 😉

When are decision dates for Northwestern University transfer applicants?

If you applied to transfer to Northwestern University on or before the reported deadlines then you should have your decision date by the notification dates in the below table.

Deadline Notification Dates
Fall Transfer Deadline July 1
Winter Transfer Deadline
Spring Transfer Deadline
Summer Transfer Deadline

Note this data is current as of 2019 and to the best of our knowledge this hasn’t changed.

What is Northwestern University’s transfer acceptance rate?

In 2019, Northwestern University received 2069 transfer applicants.

The school accepted 316 students. Therefore, the transfer acceptance rate for Northwestern University is 15.27%.

This indicates how hard it is to transfer into Northwestern University. You can use the free calculator below to predict your chances of getting accepted.

What are your chances at Northwestern University?

Your SAT Score
on a 4.0 scale

This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at Northwestern University or any other U.S. college

Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

*or select a school above for a specific calculation

Need chances at another college?

Additionally, of the 316 accepted transfer students, 159 students enrolled - that means the yield was 50.32%.

Northwestern University accepts 16 out of every 100 transfer applicants.

How can you afford Northwestern University

Northwestern University costs an average of $N/A. The below vendors all offer private student loans for Northwestern University students to help cover the cost... We have partnered with Edvisors to provide these vendors and keep the offer up-to-date.

What are the Northwestern University transfer GPA requirements?

Northwestern University requires a minimum college GPA of 3.0 - this is on a 4.33 point scale.

In addition, Northwestern University requires a minimum high school GPA of 3.0.

Will you enjoy transferring to Northwestern University?

There are a lot of reasons to transfer to Northwestern University. Maybe your plan has always been to attend community college, and then move to a four year college to save money while completing your degree.

Maybe you had a bad experience at your first school - don’t worry this is more common than you think.

Or perhaps you’re drawn to Evanston...

Regardless of your reason for transferring, you’re already enrolled at another college or university so you know that the most important element in your college experience is the people and community

Finding success at Northwestern University is dependent on feeling comfortable - will you be able to find a place to find home and grow?

These are the questions that numbers and data cannot answer, but CampusReel can.

If you’re considering transferring to Northwestern University then I highly recommend that you watch the school’s videos on CampusReel. These are real students with real stories.

Final Verdict: How to transfer into Northwestern University

Let’s wrap up everything we’ve learned. If you still have questions about transferring, check out the Northwestern University website for more info.
Northwestern University accepts 15.27% transfer applicants, which is competitive.

To have a shot at transferring into Northwestern University, you should have a current GPA of at least 4.09 - ideally you’re GPA will be around 4.25. In addition, you will need to submit standardized test scores.

The below tables show the SAT and ACT breakdown of Northwestern University students.

25th Percentile 75th Percentile Average
SAT Math 710 800 755
SAT Reading 690 760 725
2018 Total SAT Score 1400 1560 1480
25th Percentile 75th Percentile Average
ACT Math 32 34 33
ACT Reading 32 34 33
2018 Total ACT Score 64 68 66

Northwestern University’s average SAT score is 1480. To be a competitive applicant for Northwestern University your SAT score should come close to the average - for the ACT you should be aiming for the equivalent.

What are your chances at Northwestern University?

Your SAT Score
on a 4.0 scale

This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at Northwestern University or any other U.S. college

Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

*or select a school above for a specific calculation

Need chances at another college?

If you’re considering transferring to Northwestern University, you may also want to consider the schools:

Transferring to University of Chicago
Transferring to Franklin University

Will you get accepted?

Predict now!