Northwestern University Ranking

The Northwestern University Ranking is #42 in the QS 2026 Ranking, #31 in the THE Rankings 2025, and #6 in the U.S. News rankings 2025. These rankings clearly reflect the school’s strong academic programs and industry connections. 

Northwestern University's dedication to value-driven education is demonstrated by its impressive subject rankings. In 2025, it ranked #5 in the QS World Rankings by subject, solidifying its status as one of the most sought-after institutions for study in the U.S.

It is also one of only 4 top-10 national universities ranked in the top 20 in four graduate school rankings. Additionally, Northwestern ranks #10 in Law schools, making it one of the most sought-after institutions for Law courses in the USA.

Northwestern University Rankings 2025-26 

World university rankings reflect a university’s performance on the global stage. Northwestern University has earned impressive rankings across multiple platforms for master’s and bachelor’s courses, reflecting its strengths in career readiness and specialized fields. 

The U.S. News & World Report ranks Northwestern University at #2 among the best business schools, and #16 in the best undergraduate engineering programs, further building its reputation in the academic world.

Here’s how Northwestern University's Rankings have changed over the years

Here’s a graphical representation of the Northwestern University Rankings:

Northwestern University has shown consistent improvement in major global rankings. In the QS Rankings, it moved from #47 in 2024 to #50 in 2025 and then to #42 in 2026, indicating stronger academic performance and growing international recognition.

US News rankings, on the other hand, show a significant trend with the university rising from #9 in 2024, and then to #6 in 2025 among the Best National Universities category. While THE rankings jumped 3 spots down in 2025 to #31. This reflects progress in areas such as teaching quality, research, and reputation.

Now that you’ve looked at the overall rankings of Northwestern University, let’s see how it performs in specific subject areas.

Subject-Wise Ranking of Northwestern University

Subject-specific rankings, such as those for engineering or business, can help you determine the reputation of a top university's ranking in your field of study. Rankings from sources like QS, U.S. News, and THE offer insight into the performance of individual programs at a given university.

Below is a breakdown of subject-specific Northwestern University rankings for different agencies:

QS Rankings 2025

QS World University Rankings considers criteria such as Employability, Thought leadership, International research network, sustainability, and Academic reputation.

Ranked #5 in Marketing by QS Ranking, Northwestern University offers students the opportunity to specialize in other career tracks, such as ranking at #12 in Economics Course in the USA and #15 in Masters in Chemistry programs. With its diverse range of top-ranked programs, students can tailor their education to fit a variety of career paths, ensuring a well-rounded academic experience.

Here are the subject-wise rankings:

After reviewing Northwestern University's ranking for different subjects, let’s explore how it performs in other reputable rankings. 

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2025

In THE rankings, subjects like business and economics (#16), engineering (#32), medicine (#46), and computer sciences (#85) are placed within the global top 100. Art and Humanities, on the other hand, ranked in the 101-125 range, have room for improvement.

Below is the subject-wise performance in the THE rankings:

U.S. News Rankings 2025

The U.S. News and World Report rankings showcase Northwestern's impressive performance across various fields. It ranks #2 for Best Business School, #6 for Best Educational School & National University, and #63 for Most Innovative Schools. 

In engineering, Northwestern excels with Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ranked #6, Materials Engineering ranked #7, and other top undergraduate engineering programs ranked #16.

Here are the rankings for different subjects:

These rankings provide insight into how your academic interests align with the university's strengths within the education system in the USA.

Now that you’ve seen how the university performs by subject, let’s review some other rankings that highlight the university's overall reputation.

Miscellaneous Ranking 2025

Northwestern University is ranked as the best college for public health in the USA according to Niche rankings, reflecting its excellence in health-related academic programs and research. 

It also holds the #11 spot in Forbes’ 2025 rankings of top colleges, showcasing its reputation for academic rigor, innovation, and overall student experience. 

Additionally, U.S. News recognizes Northwestern as a top performer in social mobility, ranking #82, which highlights the university’s efforts to support low-income students and help them succeed. 

Here how the Northwestern University performs in other relevant rankings:

Now, let’s explore the university’s achievements in extracurricular activities.

Northwestern University: Excellence and Achievements

Northwestern University has earned widespread recognition for its commitment to Academic and Cultural excellence. 

For instance the Northwestern’s Block Museum received a $70,000 (INR 60.77L) NEA grant for its exhibition “Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland.” 

Below are the academic achievements and recognition of Northwestern University Rankings.

Academic Excellence and National Recognition

Northwestern University is consistently recognized for its academic excellence and national prominence across various disciplines. Its graduate programs also receive high accolades, with the Kellogg School of Management's Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA programs both ranked #2 nationally, and the Part-Time MBA program ranked #1.

Here are some other major recognitions: 

In addition to its academic achievements, Northwestern University also excels in campus life and community. 

Community and Lifestyle Recognitions

Beyond institutional recognitions, Northwestern celebrates individual contributions through initiatives like the Wildcat Impact Awards, which honor students. The university is also most revered as one of the nation's largest entirely student-run philanthropies, which has raised over $23M (INR 1.9B) for various causes since its inception 

Below are some of the contributions in this field:

The university’s dedication to innovation and creativity extends through various programs and initiatives, further enhancing the student experience. Let’s take a look:

Cultural and Creative Excellence

Northwestern University has established itself as a powerhouse in cultural and creative excellence through its world-class facilities. Each year, the university presents hundreds of concerts, performances, exhibitions, and other events featuring both students and world-renowned guest artists. 

 Here are some of Northwestern University’s community and lifestyle accolades:

After exploring Northwestern University’s academic and extracurricular performance, let’s take a look at how its acceptance rate varies.

Northwestern University: Ranking V/S Acceptance Rate

Northwestern University maintains a highly selective admissions process across all its programs, with the overall university acceptance rate at approximately 7% for undergraduate programs. 

The Kellogg School of Management's MBA program within Northwestern University ranks 11th globally in the QS Rankings 2025 and maintains an acceptance rate of 31.4%.

Below is a consolidated table listing each Northwestern program ranked in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, alongside the program’s acceptance rate.

Next, let’s examine the approaches used by different ranking organizations to assess Best Universities and Top Colleges in the USA.

Ranking Methodologies

QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and U.S. News & World Report are among the top university ranking systems, evaluating institutions based on factors like academic reputation, research excellence, and international outlook.

Here’s a detailed look at the criteria used for ranking universities.

QS World University Rankings

The QS World University Rankings emphasize employer reputation and academic performance, drawing insights from surveys conducted with thousands of academic experts and employers globally. They also place weight on faculty research and the enrollment of international students.

Here are the criteria used in QS World University Rankings.

Next, explore how THE Rankings evaluate institutions differently, with more weight on teaching and research quality.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings prioritize research impact, teaching quality, and the staff-to-student ratio. They also highlight international diversity and industry income, evaluating how effectively universities engage with industry and participate in global academic partnerships.

Here are the criteria used by THE rankings.

Now, take a closer look at the U.S. News & World Report Rankings, which center more on student outcomes and financial strength.

U.S. News and World Report Rankings

This indicator incorporates specific criteria such as first-year retention rates, graduation rates, and the student-to-faculty ratio. Additional factors like student loan debt and financial resources are used to evaluate how effectively universities support students from low-income backgrounds.

Here are the criteria used in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings

According to the above rankings, universities are positioned well to offer quality education and outcomes to students, based on indicators like employability and industry applications.

Conclusion 

Northwestern University continues to perform exceptionally well in prestigious global rankings. In the QS 2026 rankings, it improved to #42, up from #50 in 2025. In the 2025 U.S. News rankings, the university has risen to #6. 

Furthermore, it excels in subject-specific rankings, with Marketing at #5, Economics at #12, and Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering at #6 according to QS and US world News. 

These rankings solidify Northwestern's position as a leading institution for students seeking top-tier academic programs and strong career opportunities. This upward trend highlights the university's strong academic performance and expanding global reputation.