Northwestern University facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas Northwestern | |
| Motto | |
|---|---|
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Motto in English
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"Whatsoever things are true" (Philippians 4:8 AV) "The Word full of grace and truth" (John 1:14) |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | January 28, 1851 |
| Accreditation | HLC |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $16.1 billion (2022) |
| Budget | $2.9 billion (2022) (excluding the health system) |
| President | Michael Schill |
| Provost | Kathleen Hagerty |
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Academic staff
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4,018 (Fall 2021) |
| Students | 23,410 (Fall 2021) |
| Undergraduates | 8,816 (Fall 2021) |
| Postgraduates | 14,684 (Fall 2021) |
| Location |
,
,
42°03′21″N 87°40′29″W / 42.05583°N 87.67472°W |
| Campus | Small city, 240 acres (97 ha) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Daily Northwestern |
| Colors | Purple and white |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Willie the Wildcat |
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 Location in the United States
Location in Illinois
Location in Chicago metropolitan area
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Northwestern University (NU) is a private research university located in Evanston, Illinois, United States. It was started in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory. It is the oldest university in Illinois that was given a special charter. The main campus sits along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Northwestern was first connected to the Methodist Episcopal Church. However, it later became a non-religious school. By 1900, it was the third-largest university in the United States. Northwestern helped start the Big Ten Conference in 1896. It also joined the Association of American Universities in 1917.
The university has eleven different schools for undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies. These include the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering. Besides the Evanston campus, Northwestern has locations in downtown Chicago, Coral Gables, San Francisco, Doha, and Washington, D.C..
As of 2023, the university had a large fund of $14.1 billion. Its yearly budget was about $2.9 billion. It also received over $1 billion for research. Northwestern has 19 sports teams, called the Northwestern Wildcats. They compete in NCAA Division I in the Big Ten Conference.
Many famous people have been part of Northwestern. As of September 2020, 33 Nobel Prize winners and 2 Fields Medalists were connected to the university. This includes former students and teachers. Northwestern has also been linked to 47 Pulitzer Prize winners and 23 National Medal of Science winners. Its alumni include 10 living billionaires, 2 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and 24 Olympic medal winners.
Contents
History of Northwestern University
How Northwestern University Started
Northwestern University began on May 31, 1850. Nine important Chicago businessmen, Methodist leaders, and lawyers met. They wanted to create a university for the area known as the Northwest Territory. On January 28, 1851, the Illinois General Assembly officially approved the Trustees of the North-Western University. This made it the first university in Illinois to get a charter.
The nine founders were all Methodists. They prayed before their first meeting. Even though they were connected to the Methodist Church, they wanted to accept all students. They believed Northwestern should help everyone in the growing territory. They also wanted to improve the economy in Evanston.
John Evans, who Evanston is named after, bought 379 acres of land in 1853. This land was next to Lake Michigan. Philo Judson then made plans for the city of Evanston. The first building, Old College, opened on November 5, 1855. To get money, Northwestern sold "perpetual scholarships" for $100. These allowed the buyer and their family to attend for free.
Another building, University Hall, was built in 1869. It used the same stone as the Chicago Water Tower. This tower was one of the few buildings in Chicago to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Growth in the 1800s
In 1873, the Evanston College for Ladies joined Northwestern. Frances Willard became the first dean of women. She later became famous for her work for women's right to vote. A building, Willard Residential College, is named after her. Northwestern accepted its first female students in 1869. The first woman graduated in 1874.
Northwestern started its first football team in 1882. It later became a founding member of the Big Ten Conference. In the 1870s and 1880s, Northwestern partnered with existing law, medicine, and dentistry schools in Chicago. The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is the oldest law school in Chicago. As more students joined, these professional schools became part of the main university. This created a modern research university. It combined professional, graduate, and undergraduate programs. It valued both teaching and research.
Northwestern in the 1900s
By 1900, Northwestern was the third-largest university in the United States. Only Harvard University and the University of Michigan were bigger. From 1920 to 1939, under President Walter Dill Scott, Northwestern began building a new campus in Chicago. This campus was designed by James Gamble Rogers. He also designed a library on the Evanston campus. This library was named after Charles Deering and was inspired by Cambridge University's King's College Chapel.
The university also started the Kellogg School of Management. It built several important buildings on the Evanston campus, including Dyche Stadium, now called Ryan Field. In the 1920s, Northwestern was one of the first six universities to create a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC). In 1939, Northwestern hosted the first NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game. It was held in the original Patten Gymnasium.
The Great Depression in the United States (1929–1941) greatly affected the university's money. Its income dropped by 25 percent. The university had to cut salaries by 10 percent twice for all employees. They stopped hiring and building. They also cut money for maintenance, books, and research.
In 1933, the president of the University of Chicago suggested merging the two universities. This would save money. However, many Northwestern alumni did not like the idea. They feared losing their university's unique traditions. The plan was eventually dropped. In 1935, the Deering family gave $6 million to the university. This helped restore many of the cuts.
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World War II (1939–1945) changed Northwestern. Regular student numbers fell. But the school started short, intense programs. These trained over 50,000 military people, including future president John F. Kennedy. Northwestern's NROTC program trained over 36,000 sailors. This earned Northwestern the nickname "Annapolis of the Midwest."
After the war, many soldiers came to college using the G.I. Bill. This led to a big expansion of both campuses. In 1948, anthropologist Melville J. Herskovits started the Program of African Studies. This was the first center of its kind in an American university. From 1949 to 1970, President J. Roscoe Miller oversaw more growth. The Lakefill was built on Lake Michigan. The number of teachers and new programs grew.
In 1996, Princess Diana visited Northwestern's campuses. She helped raise $1.5 million for cancer research at the university hospital.
Northwestern in the 2000s
In the 2000s, it became harder to get into colleges. President Henry S. Bienen saw more and better students applying. The university continued to expand its buildings and teachers. Its sports teams also became more competitive. In 1999, Northwestern student journalists found information that helped free Anthony Porter. He was an Illinois death-row inmate. This happened two days before his planned execution. The Innocence Project has since helped free 10 more men.
In 2014, President Barack Obama gave an important speech about economics at the Evanston campus. In 2015, Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands visited. They announced research partnerships between Northwestern and Dutch groups. These partnerships focused on studying aging.
In 2021, the Ryan Family gave $480 million to Northwestern. This was the largest donation in the university's history. It will be used for research at the Kellogg School of Management and Feinberg School of Medicine. It will also help renovate Ryan Field. In 2023, Northwestern partnered with Oakton College and the Illinois Department of Corrections. They awarded the first bachelor's degrees in the U.S. to a group of prisoners from a top-ranked university.
Campuses
Northwestern University has its main campus in Evanston, Illinois. It also has a campus in Chicago and another in Qatar.
Evanston Campus
Northwestern's main campus is in Evanston, Illinois. This is a suburb just north of Chicago. The campus covers 240 acres. It has a mix of modern and old gothic architecture buildings.
The Evanston campus is where the undergraduate schools, the Graduate School, and the Kellogg School of Management are located. It stretches along Sheridan Road next to Lake Michigan. The North Campus has fraternity houses and sports facilities. It also has the Technological Institute and Dearborn Observatory. The South Campus has humanities buildings, music buildings like the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art. It also has sorority houses.
In the 1960s, the university added 84 acres to the campus. They did this by filling in part of Lake Michigan. Buildings on this new land, called the Lakefill, include the University Library and the Norris University Center (the student union).
The Chicago Transit Authority's elevated train in Evanston is called the Purple Line. It gets its name from Northwestern's school color. The Foster and Davis stations are close to the south end of campus. The Noyes station is near the north end. The Central station is close to Ryan Field, the football stadium.
Chicago Campus
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Northwestern's Chicago campus is in the city's Streeterville neighborhood. It is also near Lake Michigan. This campus is home to the highly-ranked Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It also has the medical school, the law school, and the School of Professional Studies.
The professional schools were once spread out across Chicago. In 1920, the university bought 8.5 acres of land for a central Chicago campus. Architect James Gamble Rogers designed the main buildings in a collegiate gothic style. In 1923, Mrs. Montgomery Ward donated $8 million. This money helped build the Montgomery Ward Memorial Building. It would house the medical and dental schools. This building became the first university skyscraper in the United States.
Rogers also designed Wieboldt Hall for the School of Commerce. He designed Levy Mayer Hall for the School of Law. These three new buildings were officially opened in June 1927. The Chicago campus continued to grow with Thorne Hall in 1931 and Abbott Hall in 1939.
Education City Campus in Qatar
In Fall 2008, Northwestern opened a campus in Education City, Doha, Qatar. This campus, called NU-Q, offers bachelor's degrees in journalism and communications. It does this through the Medill School of Journalism and School of Communication.
The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development provided money for building and running the campus. They also helped hire teachers and staff. Some teachers travel between the Evanston and Qatar campuses. Northwestern receives about $45 million each year to run the campus. In 2016, Northwestern agreed to keep the NU-Q branch open for another ten years, until 2027–2028.
Organization and Administration
How Northwestern is Run
Northwestern is a private university. It is managed by a Board of Trustees. This board has 70 members. As of 2022, Peter Barris is the chairman. The board chooses a president who leads the university. Northwestern has had seventeen presidents in its history. The current president is Michael Schill. He started in Fall 2022.
The president works with a team of vice presidents and directors. They handle things like money, teachers, and student matters. Kathleen Haggerty became the provost on September 1, 2020.
Students are also involved in running the university. The Associated Student Government has elected representatives for undergraduate students. The Graduate Student Association represents graduate students.
Each of Northwestern's 12 schools has its own faculty. These teachers decide the admission rules, degree requirements, and courses for their school.
University's Money Fund
Northwestern has a large fund of $16.1 billion. This is the eighth-largest university fund among private universities in the United States. This money comes from donations. Investment advisors at the university's Investment Office manage it.
Academics
| Undergraduate and graduate schools | Graduate and professional |
|---|---|
Evanston Campus
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Evanston Campus
Chicago Campus
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How to Get Admitted to Northwestern
| Admissions statistics | |
|---|---|
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2022 entering
classChange vs. 2017 |
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| Admit rate | 7.0%
(
 −2.23) |
| Yield rate | 63.0%
(
 +7.8) |
| Test scores middle 50%* | |
| SAT Total | 1500–1560
(
+25 median) |
| SAT EBRW | 730–770
(
+15 median) |
| SAT Math | 760–800
(
+10 median) |
| ACT Composite | 33–35
(
+0.5 median) |
| High school GPA† | |
| Top 10% | 96.0%
(
+5) |
| Top 25% | 100.0%
(
 no change) |
| Average | 4.1
(
 −0.03) |
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Getting into Northwestern University is very competitive. U.S. News & World Report calls its admissions "most selective." For the 2022–2023 school year, Northwestern received a record 52,225 applications. They had about 2,100 spots for new students.
For the Class of 2027, the acceptance rate for regular decisions was about 4.6%. The overall acceptance rate was around 7.0%. For the Class of 2026, the middle 50% of students scored between 1500–1560 on the SAT. Their ACT scores ranged from 33 to 35. Also, 96% of admitted students were in the top ten percent of their high school classes.
About 35–40% of the Class of 2027 students were accepted through the Early Decision application. This early acceptance rate was about 20%. Around 1,000 students were accepted out of 5,220 early applications.
In April 2016, Northwestern joined 14 other Illinois universities in the Chicago Star Partnership. This program helps students from Chicago Public Schools. It gives scholarships to students who graduate from Chicago Public Schools, get an associate degree from a city community college, and then get into a bachelor's degree program.
The university is "need-blind" for students from the U.S. This means they do not consider a student's ability to pay when making admission decisions.
What Students Learn
Northwestern offers over 200 different academic subjects. This includes 124 programs for undergraduate students and 145 for graduate and professional students. Many programs also allow students to earn two degrees. While there isn't one main set of required classes for the whole university, all majors need a strong base in liberal arts and sciences. Each school sets its own specific degree requirements.
The university strongly encourages students to combine different areas of study. In fact, 72% of undergraduate students study two or more subjects. Northwestern's full-time programs run on a 10-week academic quarter system. The school year starts in late September and ends in early June. Students usually take four classes each quarter. They need to complete at least twelve quarters on campus to graduate. Northwestern also has special programs for honors, faster degrees, and combined degrees in fields like medicine, science, and engineering.
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In 2021, the most popular majors at Northwestern included communication, journalism, engineering, computer science, and mathematics. It is also well-known for law and medicine. Northwestern is officially approved by the Higher Learning Commission. It is also approved by national groups for subjects like chemistry, business, and engineering.
Northwestern has a student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1. This means there are 6 students for every teacher. About 77% of classes have fewer than 20 students. Only 5.5% of classes have more than 50 students.
Libraries and Museums
The Northwestern library system has four libraries on the Evanston campus. These include the main University Library, the Boas Mathematics Library, Mudd Library, and the original Deering Library. There are also three libraries on the Chicago campus.
Northwestern Libraries hold over 8 million printed or electronic books. They also have many maps, audio files, journals, movies, and historical papers. The University Library is the 14th-largest university library in North America based on the number of items it holds.
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Special Collections
The library has several special collections:
- Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies: Started in 1954, this is the largest collection of materials about Africa in the world. It has over 400,000 books and many old newspapers.
- The Music Library: This library has a large collection of printed music and historical items. It focuses on music written since 1945.
- Transportation Library: This is one of the biggest centers for transportation information. It has over 500,000 items about air, rail, highways, and more.
- The Art Library: This library has over 160,000 books and journals about art, architecture, and design. It is especially strong in 19th-century art.
- Styberg Library: This is the theological library. It serves the Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary.
- Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections: This collection includes many items about the 1960s, social history, and literature. It also has a large collection of about 8,000 items related to the Siege and Commune of Paris from 1870–1871. This collection includes old photographs, posters, and newspapers from that time. It also has materials about the Spanish Civil War and early World War II.
- Northwestern University Archives Pritzker Legal Research Center: This library is on the Chicago campus. It serves the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
- Seeley G. Mudd Library: Located on North Campus, this library was updated in 2017. It was designed for teamwork and technology.
- Charles Deering Memorial Library: Built in 1933, this library is named after Charles Deering. It holds the art library, special collections, the Music Library, and university archives.
- Boas Mathematics Library: This library mainly serves the Mathematics and Statistics Departments. It has about 34,000 books on pure mathematics and statistics.
The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art is a major art museum in Chicago. It has over 4,000 works in its permanent collection. About a third of its space is used for temporary and traveling exhibitions.
Northwestern is also part of the Google Book Search project. This project helps to digitize library collections.
Research and Innovations
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Research Activities
Northwestern was chosen to join the Association of American Universities in 1917. It is known as an R1 university, which means it has "very high" research activity. Northwestern's schools of management, engineering, and communication are among the best in the country for academic work.
In 2022, the university received $923.8 million for research. It also got $421 million from the NIH. Northwestern has over 90 research institutes and centers within its schools. It also has 40 university-wide centers. The university supports nearly 1,500 research laboratories. Most of these are in medical and biological sciences.
Northwestern is home to many research centers. These include the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration in Astrophysics and the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. It also has the Institute for Policy Research and the International Institute for Nanotechnology.
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The university also works with other research institutions. These include Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FermiLab). Northwestern's work with these labs focuses on particle physics, quantum physics, and superconducting technologies.
New Ideas and Businesses
In 2013, Northwestern researchers shared 247 new inventions. They applied for 270 patents and received 81 patents from other countries and the U.S. They also started 12 new companies. The Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO) helps create new centers for developing medicines and devices.
Northwestern files hundreds of patents every year. It is among the top 20 universities worldwide for U.S. utility patents. One of its most successful patents is for pregabalin. This is an organic molecule developed by chemistry professor Richard Bruce Silverman. It was later sold as Lyrica, a drug used to treat epilepsy and pain.
Northwestern has a long history of producing successful business people and entrepreneurs. Companies started by Northwestern alumni include Groupon, The Blackstone Group, Booz Allen Hamilton, and U.S. Steel.
The university also runs The Garage. This is a place for students to work on new ideas and businesses. It provides resources and mentors for student-run startups. The Garage hosts about 90 student-founded startups each school quarter. Its programs are open to all Northwestern students.
Student Life
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 42% |
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| Asian | 19% |
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| Hispanic | 13% |
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| Foreign national | 10% |
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| Other | 9% |
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| Black | 6% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 20% |
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| Affluent | 80% |
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Who are Northwestern's Students?
Northwestern enrolls over 8,000 undergraduate students and over 8,000 graduate students each year. The freshman retention rate, meaning how many first-year students return for their second year, was 99%. About 86% of students graduated after four years, and 96% graduated after six years.
Students come from all 50 U.S. states and over 75 different countries. Twenty percent of students in the Class of 2024 received Pell Grants, which help low-income students. Also, 12.56% were the first in their families to attend college. Northwestern also has the ninth-most National Merit Scholars in the nation.
In Fall 2014, most undergraduate students were in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (40.6%). Other popular schools included McCormick School of Engineering (21.3%) and the School of Communication (14.3%). The most common undergraduate degrees awarded are economics, journalism, communication studies, psychology, and political science.
Where Students Live
Northwestern offers both regular dorms and residential colleges. Residential colleges are for students who share a special interest. Examples include Chapin Hall (Humanities) and Slivka Residential College for Science and Engineering. Some traditional dorms are Allison Hall and Foster-Walker Complex (Plex).
About 20% of undergraduate students are part of a fraternity or sorority. Northwestern has 21 fraternities and 18 sororities. All new undergraduate students at Northwestern University must live on campus for their first two years.
University Traditions
- Alma Mater: This is Northwestern's official hymn. The original Latin version was written in 1907. An English version was written in 1953. The Marching Band plays it at football games.
- Purple and White: Purple became Northwestern's official color in 1892. It replaced black and gold. White is also an official color. It is mentioned in the university's earliest song, Alma Mater.
- The Rock: This is a six-foot-high boulder given by the Class of 1902. Students started painting it in the 1940s as a prank. Now, it's a popular way for students to express themselves. By tradition, students must guard it for 24 hours before painting it. The rock is streamed live on YouTube all the time.
- Dillo Day: This is an all-day music festival held near the end of the spring quarter. It takes place on the Lakefill. Students organize this event. It is the largest student-managed music festival in the United States.
- March Through the Arch: This tradition happens during Wildcat Welcome week. Students walk through the Weber Arch on campus. This symbolizes their start at the university. When students graduate, they march back through the arch.
- Primal Scream: This happens every quarter on the Sunday before finals week. Students lean out of windows or gather in courtyards and scream. This helps them relieve stress.
Helping the Community
One of Northwestern's student charity events is Dance Marathon. Since 2011, it has raised over $1 million for charity every year. It has donated a total of $13 million to children's charities.
The Northwestern Community Development Corps (NCDC) is a student group. It connects hundreds of student volunteers to community projects in Evanston and Chicago. They also hold yearly events like Project Pumpkin. This is a Halloween celebration that gives over 800 local children carnival events and a safe place to trick-or-treat.
Many students join the Freshman Urban Program. This program helps students interested in community service. They work on social issues in Chicago. Students also join the Global Engagement Studies Institute (GESI) programs. These include service-learning trips to Asia, Africa, or Latin America.
Performing Arts
Northwestern is well-known for its performing arts. Many successful entertainers come from here. The Student Theatre Coalition (StuCo) organizes nine student theater companies. It also has many performance groups and over sixty independent shows each year. These include The Waa-Mu Show, an original musical written and produced by students.
Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company was started in 1988 by several Northwestern alumni, including David Schwimmer. It won the Regional Tony Award in 2011.
Undergraduate students have twelve a cappella groups. These include THUNK a cappella and the Northwestern Undertones. Northwestern's performing arts also include Boomshaka. This is the university's drum, dance, and rhythm group.
Media and Publications
Print Media
- The Daily Northwestern: Started in 1881, this is the university's main student newspaper. It is published on weekdays during the school year. Students run it completely.
- North by Northwestern: This is an online undergraduate magazine. It started in 2006. It publishes news updates and special events. It also has a print magazine each quarter.
- Syllabus: This is the university's undergraduate yearbook. It comes out in late May. It covers the year's events at Northwestern.
- Northwestern Flipside: This is an undergraduate satirical magazine. It started in 2009. It publishes a weekly issue both in print and online.
- Helicon: This is the university's undergraduate literary magazine. It started in 1979. It publishes twice a year.
- The Protest: This is Northwestern's quarterly social justice magazine.
- Cultural Publications: The university supports several magazines for different cultural groups. These include Ahora (Hispanic and Latino/a culture), Al Bayan (Muslim culture), BlackBoard Magazine (African-American student life), and NUAsian (Asian and Asian-American culture).
- Northwestern University Law Review: This is a scholarly legal publication run by students at the Law School. It publishes six issues each year.
- Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property: This is another law review published by students at the Law School.
- Northwestern Interdisciplinary Law Review: This is a scholarly legal publication published yearly by undergraduate students. It focuses on legal research that combines different fields like history and economics.
Online Media
- TriQuarterly: This is a literary magazine published twice a year. It features poetry, fiction, essays, and art.
- Sherman Ave: Started in 2011, this is a satirical website. It often publishes content about student life at Northwestern.
- Politics & Policy: Started in 2010 by undergraduates, this site provides analysis of current events and public policy.
- Northwestern Business Review: Founded in 2005, this is a campus source for business news.
- The Queer Reader: This is Northwestern's first radical feminist and LGBTQ+ publication.
Radio, Film, and TV
- WNUR (89.3 FM): This is a radio station that broadcasts to Chicago's north side and nearby suburbs. It plays music (jazz, classical, rock), and covers literature, politics, and sports.
- Studio 22: This is a student-run company that produces about ten films each year. It helped finance the first film directed by Zach Braff.
- Applause for a Cause: This is a student-run company that creates feature-length films for charity. It started in 2010 and has raised over $5,000 for various organizations.
- Northwestern News Network: This is a student television news and sports network. It serves the Northwestern and Evanston communities. It is funded by the Medill School of Journalism.
Speech and Debate
The Northwestern Debate Society has won fifteen National Debate Tournaments. This is the most of any university. Famous alumni include Erwin Chemerinsky, a legal scholar.
Northwestern's Mock Trial team had two teams qualify for the 2018 National Championship Tournament. This made Northwestern one of only seven schools with multiple teams at the competition. One team finished 9th in their division. They are ranked 20th in the country out of about 750 teams for the 2018–2019 season.
Athletics
Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference. It was the only private university in the conference until 2024. It has the smallest number of undergraduate students by far.
Northwestern has 19 intercollegiate athletic teams. This includes 8 men's teams and 11 women's teams. They also have many club sports. Twelve of Northwestern's varsity programs have been in NCAA or bowl postseason games. Northwestern is one of five private universities in the Association of American Universities to compete in NCAA Power Five conferences. It has a 98% NCAA Graduation Success Rate. This is the highest among Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
In 2018, the school opened the Walter Athletics Center. This is a $270 million modern facility for its sports teams. It is located on the lakefront.
Team Nickname and Mascot
Before 1924, Northwestern teams were called "The Purple." They were also unofficially known as "The Fighting Methodists." The name "Wildcats" was given to the university in 1924. A writer for the Chicago Daily Tribune, Wallace Abbey, used the name. He wrote that the football players were like "wildcats." The name was so popular that the university officially made "Wildcats" the nickname just months later.
The mascot for Northwestern Athletics is Willie the Wildcat. Before Willie, the team mascot was a live, caged bear cub named Furpaw. He was brought to games to greet fans. After a losing season, the team blamed Furpaw and chose a new mascot. Willie the Wildcat first appeared in 1933 as a logo. Then, in 1947, students dressed as wildcats for a Homecoming Parade.
Football Team Achievements
The Northwestern Wildcats football team is a Division I college football team. They are part of the Big Ten Conference. The team's history goes back to 1882. They are known as the Wildcats. This nickname came from a reporter in 1924. He saw the players' strong and fierce presence, like a "wall of purple wildcats."
The team has won three Big Ten championships or co-championships since 1995. They have also been able to play in bowl games five times between 2015 and 2020. Northwestern is proud of its academic success. Its football team consistently ranks high in graduation rates. They have won the AFCA Academic Achievement Award four times since 2002.
The Wildcats play their home games at Ryan Field. This stadium was formerly known as Dyche Stadium. They have played there since 1926. Because they are close to Chicago, Northwestern Football is often called "Chicago's Big Ten Team."
Northwestern's football team has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll 73 times since 1936. They were even ranked #1 five times. They have won eight Big Ten conference championships since 1903. The team did not play in a bowl game after 1949 until the 1996 Rose Bowl. They did not win a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl until the 2013 Gator Bowl.
In 2006, football coach Randy Walker suddenly passed away. Pat Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old former Northwestern linebacker, became the coach. He was the youngest Division I FBS coach at the time.
The Wildcats have played in 16 bowl games. This includes 10 seasons between 2008 and 2020. From 2016–2018, they won three bowl games in a row. In 2020, the Wildcats won the Big Ten West title and their bowl game.
Basketball Team Highlights
The Helms Athletic Foundation named the men's basketball team the 1931 National Champion. In 2017, the men's basketball team played in the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. They won their first game against Vanderbilt University. However, they lost to Gonzaga in the second round.
Men's Basketball
The Wildcats men's basketball team is led by head coach Chris Collins. He has been the coach since 2013. Collins led the Wildcats to their best season ever in 2016–17. They won a school-record 24 games. They also made their first NCAA tournament appearance and won their first tournament game. Collins was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Men's Coach of the Year award in 2017.
The Wildcats' only national championship is from 1931. Since then, the Wildcats have played in the National Invitation Tournament seven times. The men's basketball program was the first to play in the newly renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena on November 2, 2018. This modern facility seats 7,039 people. The Wildside student section cheers on the team.
Women's Basketball
In 2017, Nia Coffey was the highest draft pick in the program's history. She was selected fifth overall by the San Antonio Stars. The first player drafted from the program was Amy Jaeschke in 2011. She was selected 27th overall by the Chicago Sky.
Fencing Team Success
The Northwestern Fencing program competes in the Central Collegiate Conference. It has a long history of success. Zach Moss has been the head coach since 2016. After a great 2017–18 season, Moss was named the Midwest Fencing Conference Coach of the Year. The Wildcats won their fifth conference championship. They also had three All-Americans at the NCAA Championships.
The team set a program record for most wins in a season with 47. They also had their longest winning streak at 25 games. The 2018–19 season brought more achievements. The Wildcats had a 39–5 record and finished 11th at the NCAA Championships. They also won their second conference championship in a row. The Wildcats reached their highest ranking ever during that season, at second in the country.
Field Hockey Team Achievements
The Northwestern Field Hockey team plays its home games at Lakeside Field. This field is next to Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on the lakefront. The Wildcats are led by head coach Tracey Fuchs. She has been the coach since 2009. Fuchs has led the Wildcats to two Big Ten titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. Under Fuchs' leadership, the Wildcats have had winning seasons in 10 of her 11 years.
The Northwestern Wildcats field hockey team has won 6 regular-season Big Ten titles and 1 tournament title. They have also made 14 NCAA tournament appearances. In 2021, the team won the NCAA tournament. They then played in the championship game in 2022.
Lacrosse Team Dominance
Northwestern lacrosse has won the national championship in women's lacrosse five times in a row, from 2005 to 2009. They won again in 2011 and 2012. This gives them 7 championships in 8 years. In 2007, the team joined Maryland as the only other school to win three championships in a row.
Their winning streak started in 2005. The team had a perfect season. They beat many established east-coast schools. This was only five years after lacrosse became a varsity sport at Northwestern. They became the westernmost school to win the title. The 2009 season was also undefeated. In their five straight championship seasons, the Wildcats had a 106–3 record.
The Wildcats are led by head coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller. She has been the coach since 2002. Most recently, the Wildcats won their first Big Ten Championship in 2019. They also won their first Big Ten regular season championship in 2021.
Wrestling Team Records
The Northwestern Wildcats wrestling program holds home matches in Welsh-Ryan Arena. They practice in the Ken Kraft Wrestling Room. The Wildcats are led by Matt Storniolo. He has been the coach since 2016. The Wildcats have had 40 Big Ten individual champions. They also have 10 NCAA individual champions and over 75 All-Americans.
Golf Team Achievements
The men's golf team has won eight Big Ten Conference championships. These were in 1925, 1937, 1939, 1948, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2006. They finished second twice in the NCAA Championships: in 1939 and 1945. Luke Donald won the NCAA Individual Championship in 1999. He was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1999. David Merkow received the same honor in 2006. Donald was ranked number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 56 weeks in 2011 and 2012.
People of Northwestern
Famous Alumni
- '''Notable Northwestern alumni include:'''
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Robert Todd Lincoln, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom; 35th U.S. Secretary of War (LLB, 1866)
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William Jennings Bryan, 41st U.S. Secretary of State (LLB, 1883)
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Charles Horace Mayo, founder of the Mayo Clinic (MD, 1888)
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Arthur Goldberg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (BS, 1929; JD, 1930)
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Saul Bellow, Nobel Prize-winning novelist (BA, 1937)
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John Paul Stevens, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (JD, 1947)
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George McGovern, U.S. Senator from South Dakota and 1972 presidential nominee (MA, 1949; PhD, 1953)
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Harold Washington, 51st Mayor of Chicago (JD, 1952)
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Ingvar Carlsson, 29th prime minister of Sweden (C1961)
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Dick Gephardt, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri (BS, 1962)
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George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones (BS, 1970; MS, 1971)
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Rod Blagojevich, 40th Governor of Illinois (BA, 1979)
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Ginni Rometty, president and CEO of IBM (BS, 1979)
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Stephen Colbert, Emmy Award-winning comedian (BS, 1986)
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David Schwimmer, Emmy Award-nominated actor from Friends (BS, 1988)
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Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (MBA, 1992)
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Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers (BS, 1996)
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Alexander De Croo, 71st prime minister of Belgium (MBA, 2004)
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Cheddi Jagan, 4th president and 1st Premier and Chief Minister of Guyana (DDS, 1942)
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Daniel Noboa, 48th president of Ecuador (MBA, 2019)
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Northwestern alumni include many important people. They are famous in journalism, government, literature, business, science, and the arts. Northwestern ranks eighth among U.S. universities in the number of billionaires it has produced.
Some famous alumni include U.S. Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern. Also, Nobel Prize-winning economist George J. Stigler and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Saul Bellow. Other notable alumni are Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan and historian Wilma Dykeman.
Graduates of the Northwestern School of Law include U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Also, Supreme Court Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations Arthur Joseph Goldberg. Chicago Mayor Harold L. Washington and Governor of Illinois Adlai Stevenson also attended.
Northwestern alumni have started major companies and organizations. These include the Mayo Clinic, The Blackstone Group, U.S. Steel, and Accenture. Many Northwestern alumni are also involved in theater, film, and television. They are sometimes called the "Northwestern mafia."
University Faculty
The university has 3,781 teachers across its eleven schools. This includes 18 members of the National Academy of Sciences. It also has 65 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Faculty members include Nobel Prize-winning economist Dale T. Mortensen. Also, nano-scientists Chad Mirkin and Samuel I. Stupp. Other notable faculty are Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman and management expert Philip Kotler. Nobel laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart is also a faculty member.
The faculty also includes Richard Bruce Silverman, who invented Lyrica. Former faculty include political advisor David Axelrod. Also, Nobel Prize-winning chemist John Pople.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad del Noroeste para niños
