The Student Achievement Measure is supported by six sponsoring associations, working together to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of student progress and completion as students move across institutions and state boundaries.

Northwestern University

Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.

Fall 2017 First-time Full-time Cohort

6-year outcomes for undergraduate bachelor’s-seeking students as of 2023

First-Time Full-Time

First-Time Full-Time Students Starting Fall 2017

Number of students: 1,903

roll over each bar for detail data

96%
2%
2%
WITHIN 6 YEARS
95%
1%
1%
1%
2%
WITHIN 5 YEARS
90%
1%
6%
1%
2%
WITHIN 4 YEARS
view detail data for graph »
Graduated: Reporting institution
Transferred & Graduated: Other Institution
Enrolled: Reporting institution
Transferred & Enrolled: Other Institution
Current Status Unknown

The SAM Full-time Bachelor's Degree model tracks a group of students who started a bachelor's degree program at Northwestern University in the Fall of 2017. The students' progress toward a degree is reported within 4, 5, and 6 years. The same group of students is included in the results for every year.

The sections of the SAM chart represent the proportion of students in the original group with the following five outcomes.

  • Students who started at and graduated from Northwestern University are represented by the darker purple bar with the solid black bar underneath (). (This section of the chart Within 6 Years is approximately the same as the federal graduation rate, but it may differ slightly for each institution.)
  • Students who started at Northwestern University and then transferred to and graduated from another institution are represented by the lighter purple bar with the white stripe underneath ()
  • Students who started at and are still enrolled at Northwestern University are represented by the darker aqua bar with two white stripes underneath ().
  • Students who started at Northwestern University and then transferred to and are still enrolled at another institution are represented by the lighter aqua bar with the bottom white stripe ().
  • Students from the original group whose status is unknown are represented by the green bar with the top white stripe (). These students may have graduated or still be enrolled somewhere, but their status could not be determined conclusively.

Northwestern University | Bachelor's Seeking Model - First-Time Full-Time

OUTCOMES FOR STUDENT STARTING AT
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN FALL 2017 BY SUMMER 2023
 
2017-18
 
2018-19
 
2019-20
WITHIN 4 YEARS
2020-21
WITHIN 5 YEARS
2021-22
WITHIN 6 YEARS
2022-23
+ view details
Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University 0% 0% 4% 90% 95% 96%
+ Associate and/or Certificate degree from Northwestern University 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
= Total Graduated from Northwestern University 0% 0% 4% 90% 95% 96%
+ view details
Bachelor's degree from another institution 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 2%
+ Associate and/or Certificate degree from another institution 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
= Total Graduated from another institution 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 2%
Enrolled at Northwestern University 82% 82% 80% 6% 1% 0%
+ view details
Enrolled at another 4-year institution 0% 2% 2% 1% 0% 0%
+ Enrolled at another 2-year institution 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
= Total Transferred and enrolled
at another institution
0% 2% 2% 1% 1% 0%
Current Status Unknown 18% 16% 14% 2% 2% 2%
Full-Time Transfer

Full-Time Transfer Students Starting Fall 2017

Number of students: 149

roll over each bar for detail data

98%
1%
1%
WITHIN 6 YEARS
95%
3%
2%
WITHIN 4 YEARS
16%
72%
1%
11%
WITHIN 2 YEARS
view detail data for graph »
Graduated: Reporting institution
Transferred & Graduated: Other Institution
Enrolled: Reporting institution
Transferred & Enrolled: Other Institution
Current Status Unknown

The SAM Full-time Bachelor's Degree model tracks a group of students who started a bachelor's degree program at Northwestern University in the Fall of 2017. The students' progress toward a degree is reported within 4, 5, and 6 years. The same group of students is included in the results for every year.

The sections of the SAM chart represent the proportion of students in the original group with the following five outcomes.

  • Students who started at and graduated from Northwestern University are represented by the darker purple bar with the solid black bar underneath (). (This section of the chart Within 6 Years is approximately the same as the federal graduation rate, but it may differ slightly for each institution.)
  • Students who started at Northwestern University and then transferred to and graduated from another institution are represented by the lighter purple bar with the white stripe underneath ()
  • Students who started at and are still enrolled at Northwestern University are represented by the darker aqua bar with two white stripes underneath ().
  • Students who started at Northwestern University and then transferred to and are still enrolled at another institution are represented by the lighter aqua bar with the bottom white stripe ().
  • Students from the original group whose status is unknown are represented by the green bar with the top white stripe (). These students may have graduated or still be enrolled somewhere, but their status could not be determined conclusively.

Northwestern University | Bachelor's Seeking Model - Full-Time Transfer

OUTCOMES FOR STUDENT STARTING AT
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN FALL 2017 BY SUMMER 2023
 
2017-18
WITHIN 2 YEARS
2018-19
 
2019-20
WITHIN 4 YEARS
2020-21
 
2021-22
WITHIN 6 YEARS
2022-23
+ view details
Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University 0% 16% 87% 95% 98% 98%
+ Associate and/or Certificate degree from Northwestern University 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
= Total Graduated from Northwestern University 0% 16% 87% 95% 98% 98%
+ view details
Bachelor's degree from another institution 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
+ Associate and/or Certificate degree from another institution 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1%
= Total Graduated from another institution 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1%
Enrolled at Northwestern University 86% 72% 8% 3% 1% 0%
+ view details
Enrolled at another 4-year institution 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
+ Enrolled at another 2-year institution 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
= Total Transferred and enrolled
at another institution
0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Current Status Unknown 14% 11% 5% 2% 1% 1%