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Northwestern University, Evanston

4.6
#1 of 17 in Things to do in Evanston
Educational Site · Hidden Gem · Tourist Spot
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Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Chartered by the Illinois General Assembly in 1851, Northwestern was established to serve the former Northwest Territory. The university was initially affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church but later became non-sectarian. By 1900, the university was the third largest university in the United States. In 1896, Northwestern became a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, and joined the Association of American Universities as an early member in 1917.

The university is composed of eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, which include the Kellogg School of Management, the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the Bienen School of Music, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Communication, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Education and Social Policy, and The Graduate School. Northwestern's campus lies along the shores of Lake Michigan in Evanston. The university's law, medical, and professional schools, along with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, are located in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, while journalism graduate programs are located on the New Eastside. The university also maintains a campus in Education City, Qatar and academic centers in Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Northwestern has an endowment of $16.1 billion, one of the largest university endowments in the world, as well as an annual budget of around $2.5 billion. As of fall 2021, the university had 23,410 enrolled students, including 8,817 undergraduates and 14,593 graduate students. Fielding eight men's and eleven women's sports teams, the Northwestern Wildcats represent the university to compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference and has remained the only private university in the conference since 1946.

Past and present Northwestern faculty and alumni have included numerous heads of state, 2 Fields Medalists, 23 Nobel Prize laureates, 43 Pulitzer Prize winners, 23 MacArthur Fellows, 28 Marshall Scholars, 94 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 19 Rhodes Scholars, 10 living billionaires, and 24 Olympic medalists.
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Northwestern University reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
389 reviews
Google
4.6
TripAdvisor
  • The campus is located around an hour out from downtown Chicago near Evanston, giving a nice college-town vibe. The campus is next to Lake Michigan, and the beach + mini-pier alongside a park gives a....  more
    The campus is located around an hour out from downtown Chicago near Evanston, giving a nice college-town vibe. The campus is next to Lake Michigan, and the beach + mini-pier alongside a park gives a....  more »
  • An excellent university, with castles everywhere. Great museum, beautiful campus. Lots of student activities. 
    An excellent university, with castles everywhere. Great museum, beautiful campus. Lots of student activities.  more »
Google
  • Amazing University. Awesome Campus Evanston is an amazing town.
  • Loved it! Went there to watch a wrestling tournament between Northwestern and U of I and it was amazing! Seats were really comfortable, and had really good concessions.

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