CollegeCostWise

Master's · Evanston, Illinois

Is Engineering, Other at Northwestern University worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 1.6 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$190,040
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$227,143
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$115,500
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published)
$122k (likely $122k – $122k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$162k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in IL
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
1.6 years (likely 1.4–1.9)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
$1.26M (likely $1.06M – $1.49M)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
$3.17M (likely $2.63M – $3.76M)
Today's dollars

Change income, residency or loans Compare Engineering, Other at other schools

Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.

Other majors at Northwestern University