Northwestern University Reviews

"The M.S. in Leadership for Creative Enterprises should be ashamed of the amount of the money they charge for such a subpar program. There are some incredible faculty and you get to say you went to Northwestern, otherwise you leave with essentially nothing for your portfolio, professors clearly don't communicate as some classes are extremely similar, and the tuition stays the same despite the resources and perks of the program being seemingly cut by the quarter. Many one-year Master's programs are cash grabs, but MSLCE could at least not make it so obvious. Especially because the program is for 'leadership' and classes hinge on previous professional experience, they have no business accepting so many recent undergrads who will not contribute to or benefit from the program, but are accepted because they have the funds to pay. Communication from faculty is poor and feels disorganized, making the program feel like an afterthought. Upon graduating, students who choose to do a thesis do not get to present their hard work or defend their thesis anyway, making it feel like the guise of a graduate program rather than an actual graduate program. While you can do some incredible networking and meet some great people through the program, for 1/10 of the price you could just attend industry events, seminars, and networking events for the same outcome. Faculty did not listen to the student body's complaints in real time, so hopefully public critiques will encourage them to make actionable change for future students if this program wants to survive.Read Less"

"I recently completed my Online Master of Science in Data Science at Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies, and I want to list out things I wish I knew before applying to this program. First, there are other Data Science Master Programs at a significantly lower price. My final price at NW was about $60,000 while other schools offer the same program for about $10,000. In my opinion, Northwestern University's Online Master of Science in Data Science program is about the same quality of other schools. For example, I did my undergraduate studies at BYU-Idaho which is a small 4 year university in Rexburg Idaho, and my online courses there felt about the same quality as Northwestern University's. However, it was at a fraction of the price. You are paying for the name at Northwestern, not the quality. Second, You have to take at least 2 courses to qualify for financial aid. I did this program full time while most others do it while working full time. So, if something comes up, and you need to drop to 1 course, you have to pay out of pocket. Just something to keep in mind. Third, there is not much professor student interaction. However, I think that is true for all online programs. Just something to keep in mind. A lot of the professors have other jobs or projects they are working on, so they don't have much time for one on one's. Fourth, there career services are only geared towards on campus students. They don't have career services geared towards online students. For example, the virtual job fair only has 1 or 2 data science opportunities, and they are for onsite positions. 90% of the students in the Online Master of Science in Data Science program already have a career, so they didn't create a career services geared towards just online students.Read Less"

"I graduated a long time ago so my perspective is that of someone who is now mid-career as a physician/med school faculty member (at another Big 10 medical school). I loved my time at Northwestern University. I felt the university was a good balance between a large enough school where there were enough different types of people on campus to find my "community," but small enough that once you got into the upper level undergrad classes, you didn't feel like a nameless student. It was expensive to attend for sure. If you are purely breaking things down from a financial standpoint, I believe most private universities are not "cost-effective." However, I did feel being a graduate of Northwestern University provided automatic name recognition. Students were generally kind and supportive, without the "cut throat" competitiveness my friends encountered at the Ivy Leagues or other big name universities. I will provide the advice that my success in my career largely stemmed from being a nice, collegial person, not because of where I graduated from, per se. I do think that because I was happy with my Northwestern experience (financial burden aside), it helped to get me through the stress of medical school (where I was miserable because it was a cut-throat top 5 institution). I did feel the rigorous classes at NU also provided strong writing skills and ability to handle challenging courses. I also liked a lot of my professors, who were approachable even if they seemed intimidating during lecture and exams.Read Less"

"I recently graduated from Counseling@Northwestern and I will echo the reviews that mention regret. For me, the selling point of this particular program was the "dedicated placement team" that promised to find practicum/internship sites for students. I felt that the placement team actually made things quite difficult for me, and in many cases, prolonged the student experience indefinitely by not finding sites within a reasonable time frame (if at all). Aside from this, the overall tone of my cohort was one of overwhelm, disappointment and frustration. To quote one of my peers, "This is a grad program, yet we're treated like high-schoolers with no life experience." There is a student-vs-admin vibe throughout the process, and an attitude from administration that the institution is infallible. I suppose it is true that no program is perfect, especially considering all of the moving parts that becoming a counselor entails. But, when you factor in the cost of this particular path compared with what you get, the actual value can be assessed. Now that it is over, I am glad to have a degree that allows me to do work that is meaningful. I am grateful for my friends and colleagues that I have met during my time in the program, as well as a handful of amazing professors that continue to be pillars of support. However, if I had to do it over again, I can easily say that I would choose a smaller school, maybe public, to save money, time and my own mental health.Read Less"

"Attending Northwestern is unfortunately the largest regret of my life. It requires you to pay copious amounts of money for average instruction and terrible services and opportunities. The way that my program handled COVID was horrible. They basically used the pandemic as an excuse to provide us for what we paid for. I would go days to weeks without hearing from a professor over email or Canvas, with no way to contact them in person. I believe that I got a better experience and education, both in person and online, through a state school undergraduate experience. Use your money elsewhere.Read Less"

"I greatly enjoyed attending Northwestern University. While the classes were academically challenging, I learned a great deal and felt better prepared for my future. The professors were approachable and encouraging. I would often attend office hours when I had a question and the professors would clarify the material and helped me understand. I was also involved in different activities, from volunteering at Campus Kitchens, to leading prayer and enjoying fun events at the Sheil Catholic Center, to painting at ARTica and taking walks by the lake. I grew not only academically, but I began to discover my identity and my purpose in life through ministry.Read Less"

"The School of Professional Studies is an amazing program. All of the professors are either graduates of incredible schools or experts in their respective fields. Great program and overall great experience. I can't say enough about everything I learned pursuing my Pre-Graduate Business Admin certificate."

"The average household income of incoming Northwestern students is 200K. 80% come from 'intact' households defined as having two married, biological parents. If you fit this profile you'll be fine. If not, good luck. Seriously. It'll open doors, but its a hell of a personal sacrifice to get there. Prepare to feel marginalized if you are middle class, a non-Asian minority, not Christian, or have any goal in life besides perfecting your 'personal brand'. But the name impresses employers, I guess."

"Northwestern did a great job of exposing me to different areas in theatre. The one area that I wish I had learned more about was the business and producing end of theatre and the entertainment field. I was exposed to production life in extracurricular productions on campus with Arts Alliance. As students, we were afforded an opportunity to work together and produce shows, which was very educational."

"I attended Northwestern University from 2005-2009 and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies from the School of Communications. I cannot say enough about the quality of the education I received at Northwestern. Everything from the faculty, to the other fellow students, to the advisors were there to constantly challenge you and promote higher level thinking. Once I decided what my career path would be, Northwestern had all of the resources to make sure I was adequately prepared to enter the real world upon graduating. There was plenty of opportunity to meet with advisors and enroll in internships within my field of interest to expose me to the field. I had three internships over the course of three quarters, each in a different realm so that I could make the best decision for myself as a graduate as to which direction I wanted to take my career. I interned in a large marketing firm, at a talent agency, and at a luxury fashion brand, all of which I truly enjoyed. There was also plenty of opportunity to meet students from all over the world. It was a very diverse student body and many clubs to be a part of and get involved. Many of the friends I made during my time at Northwestern are still some of my closest friends today. They have some of the nicest facilities for students to enjoy, great sporting events to give students the college experience without sacrificing higher-level education, and studying abroad opportunities to encourage broader thinking. I would recommend Northwestern in a heartbeat to anyone considering it. Plus, its on a beautiful lakefront campus only a train ride away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago.Read Less"

"I'm a current student in an NU SPS Master's program. For the most part the experience has been disappointing considering the amount of money I've spent. It is accurate that many of these classes are 'self taught' which is a shame considering the caliber and experience of the instructors as well as the complexity of the subject (data science). The BEST instructors have weekly online sessions, so **ASK** before enrolling in a course because there are those that will simply regurgitate what others have done, if you're lucky, and provide little to no guidance on the coursework and still give you an A (about 3/4 of the classes). This really is the BIGGEST issue. It's like NU is resting on it's laurels and cashing in on their name. For the price of these classes I'd have expected actual instruction to take place and better professional development. Because of this, I feel like if you do the minimum you can still graduate with honors. I had a better experience at community college!! To top it all off, I've had classes where the instructor doesn't even know the language being used for assignments (i.e. Python, R, etc.). Their advice on completing the assignments? Use Google or get the code from other students... What??? I am happy with what I've learned, but I can't credit NU for the majority of it because of the complete lack of instructor participation. My biggest piece of advice is to go to another institution. By going to NU you are basically paying to have their name on your resume. If I wasn't so deep into the program, I'd cut my losses. Such a shame.Read Less"

"Northwestern University provided me an invaluable college education. It was a busy and challenging time, but the community was vibrant and welcoming. A confluence of interests and passions defined Northwestern. People from all majors and backgrounds befriended one another and took class together. No matter your focus, Northwestern ensured you received a quality liberal arts education. The campus is gorgeous, and the surrounding town is lovely and enjoyable. Chicago is just a stone's throw away as well, which was a big selling point for me. Northwestern is a great place to go if you want to feel like you are going to school in a small college town but would still like access to a major metropolis. The professors push you very hard, but you ultimately leave the school with a strong sense of your capabilities and the way in which you learn best.Read Less"

"Horrible school. No one lets you know how much you know until they kick you out of school and then continue to charge you for classes. No one could tell me an honest answer of how much I owed them and when I could continue attending classes again. This school should be investigated and uncredited. I will never recommend this school to anyone."

"as long as there is a path to employment then it is a very useful tool"

"Northwestern is a private institution that prides itself on providing a quality education and an extensive network. It does do both, however, for students pursuing doctoral degrees in the hard sciences there was not enough career planning assistance. It was not advertised that getting a PhD in Biology isn't very useful in the job market if you do not plan to be a professor or research scientist after you graduate. We were not told about other possible career options, or that the job market was flooded with PhD's who could not find a job in their field since there were more applicants than available jobs.Read Less"

"Northwestern University has a very high standard for academic rigor and provides an abundance of opportunities to really explore subjects. The professors are all very knowledgeable and the class sizes are very small so students truly get individualized attention."

"Great location and challenging academic environment. I'm glad to have chosen this school."

"After attending Northwestern I was very well prepared for the job force. I very exciting and innovative course work with great professors and studied amazing materials."

"Northwestern University is a school that prepared me greatly for life post-college. The academic rigor that I experienced was not only catered to my interests in the social sciences, but also set me apart from my peers who attended the other universities. My degree program at Northwestern was holistic and provided me with many opportunities to explore what routes I wanted to take after graduating."

"Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University is a truly transformative experience. Your education here will stretch your limits and challenge you to think creatively in a diverse team environment. Support is plentiful for any path you desire to take, be it in entrepreneurship or investment banking. Administration and Alumni are very engaged and want you to succeed."