Private nonprofit · University

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington · Large suburb

83.2%
Admit rate
$22,288
Avg net price
71%
Graduation rate
$54,914
Median earnings

Northwest University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Kirkland, Washington (large suburb setting), enrolling 645 undergraduates. It has a Assemblies of God Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 645 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 83% admitNAIA Division IINear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Northwest University's admitted students.

Admit rate
83.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1040–1350
Avg GPA (est.)
3.30

Enter a test score to see where you land against Northwest University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Northwest University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The land around Lake Washington to the east of Seattle was first settled by bands of the indigenous Duwamish people, including the x̌ačua’bš ("lake people") and təbɬtubixʷabš ("people of the loamy place" or "ochre-painted people"). Kirkland had a gallery district downtown until recent years when all but three galleries closed or moved away. The Kirkland Performance Center hosts a number of performing arts events. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
7 miles to Seattle, WA
To the ocean
8 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI)

How Northwest University compares

Selectivity83.2%

More selective than 38% · #11 most selective of 21 in Washington

SAT average1150

Higher than 45%

Graduation rate71%

Higher than 79% · #6 of 25 in Washington

First-year retention84%

Higher than 73%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,914

Higher than 53% · #20 of 27 in Washington

Average net price$22,288

Cheaper than 39% · #12 cheapest of 25 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$20,891

Lower than 69%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment645

Larger than 26%

Percentiles compare Northwest University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Washington.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,023students
  • Undergraduate64563%
  • Graduate37837%

Undergraduates by gender

645undergrads
  • Women39862%
  • Men24738%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White59%
  • Black5.9%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian5.1%
  • Other or multiracial17%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
645
Graduate enrollment
378
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
25%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$46,714
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$77,022
Endowment
$11,784,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
83.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1040–1350
SAT average
1150
SAT reading
540–700
SAT math
500–650
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.30

Cost

In-state tuition
$36,035
Room & board
$11,180
Books & supplies
$528
Total cost of attendance
$50,501
Average net price
$22,288

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
71%
Graduated on time (4 years)
64%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$50,495
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,914
Median debt at graduation
$20,891
Students with federal loans
55%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
62%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
64%
Low-income (Pell)
43%
First-generation
42%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
672
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Varsity athletes
181 (90 men · 91 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (6)

Soccer64
Basketball35
Track and Field (Outdoor)29
Cross Country22
Volleyball18
Beach Volleyball13

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,053 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
1.0
Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$17,996
$30–48k
$14,384
$48–75k
$17,840
$75–110k
$22,644
$110k+
$28,570

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$73,950

$17,840/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$18,587
average award, among those who get one

Northwest University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $18,587. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 151 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$54,914
Typical debt at graduation
$20,891
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$48,924
Men
$60,913

Men out-earn women by $11,989 (25%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
77°F
Winter low
37°F
Annual rain
37.8″
Annual snow
3.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Seattle Sand PT Wsfo, WA US station (3.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Northwest University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Northwest University side by side →

Colleges near Northwest University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.