More selective than 83% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $48,780. College Scorecard.
Higher than 69% of Michigan colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 83% of Michigan colleges we cover and 76% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
NU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,074 applicants, Northwood University admitted 1,740 and 341 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
NU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What NU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Northwood University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $25,700 | $107,683 | 3.6 years |
| $30–48k | $25,913 | $108,575 | 3.7 years |
| $48–75k | $25,906 | $108,546 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $26,016 | $109,007 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $28,224 | $118,259 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($63,075) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,664 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
NU majors, earnings & careers
Northwood University offers 20 bachelor's majors across 5 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 12
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 1
Highest-earning majors at NU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $77,647 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $68,679 | $26,593 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $68,008 | $20,250 |
| Finance | $67,477 | $23,250 |
| Accounting | $64,405 | $23,850 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $63,804 | — |
| Marketing | $62,860 | $25,169 |
| International Business | $62,720 | — |
Quick list of all 20 majors
- Accounting$64,405
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$68,679
- Business Economics—
- Computer and Information Sciences$63,804
- Entrepreneurship—
- Finance$67,477
- Health Administration$55,020
- Hospitality Management—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Insurance—
- International Business$62,720
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,699
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$62,860
- Public Relations and Advertising$68,008
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$77,647
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Midland
Overall prices in the Midland, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,205. Housing costs 33% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 33 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Midland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Midland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare NU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood University | 65% | $27,232 | 63% | $63,075 | This school |
| Madonna University | 63% | $17,755 | 60% | $59,058 | |
| Lawrence Technological University | 56% | $32,918 | 61% | $69,151 | |
| Alma College | 57% | $20,694 | 63% | $54,742 | |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 75% | $15,232 | 67% | $71,030 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northwood University would cost you $9,477 more per year than Madonna University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Northwood University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$5,960).
- Madonna University gives aided families $1,735 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | NU | Madonna University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $34,400 | $28,440 | +$5,960 |
| Books & supplies | $1,342 | $648 | +$694 |
| Housing & meals | $12,500 | $12,840 | −$340 |
| Personal & travel | $3,096 | $3,102 | −$6 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,558 | −$3,992 | +$1,434 |
| Sticker price | $48,780 | $41,038 | +$7,742 |
| Average grants | −$21,548 | −$23,283 | +$1,735 |
| You pay | $27,232 | $17,755 | +$9,477 |
“+” means NU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about NU
What is the NU acceptance rate?
Northwood University accepts 65% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,740 of 2,074 applicants were admitted.
How much does Northwood University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $48,780 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,232 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $25,700 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,224.
How much do NU graduates earn?
Former Northwood University students earn a median $63,075 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the NU graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a NU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northwood University costs about $108,546 after grants ($25,906 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,075 ten years after starting, $29,664 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northwood University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwood-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).