If you’re considering colleges in the Midwest and specifically in Illinois, surely you’ve come across Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. The two schools are ranked closely in the US News National University rankings—UChicago at #6 and Northwestern at #7—so you might be looking for a closer look at what distinguishes the two schools from each other. While conducting your research, it’s important to go beyond just rankings and look at factors that matter to you, such as location, academics, student life, as you will be spending the next four years at your future university.
Overview
The University of Chicago and Northwestern are both private research universities. The University of Chicago does not have a system of separate undergraduate colleges, but rather its undergraduate program is structured within “The College,” which offers a unified liberal arts and sciences education. UChicago has a undergraduate population of approximately 7,653.
Meanwhile, Northwestern admits students into one of its undergraduate colleges based on the subject and major of your choice. When students apply to Northwestern via the Common Application or the Coalition Application, they choose one of the following schools:
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- School of Communication
- School of Education and Social Policy
- McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications
- Bienen School of Music
Northwestern has a similar-sized undergraduate population as UChicago—around 8,000.
Location and On-Campus Living
The University of Chicago is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Northwestern, on the other hand, is located nearly 14 miles away, in Evanston, IL. Evanston is a suburb of Chicago, separated from the city’s northern border by a geographical boundary. You can travel between the two cities by walking, biking, or using public transportation like the CTA Purple Line or Metra train lines.
UChicago’s seven residence halls are home to 48 Houses. These houses are defined as “communities of affiliated faculty, staff, and students who live, eat, debate, and play together, not only in rooms but also in shared lounges, dining commons, and intramural sports fields.” Students foster house pride through traditions unique to each House. Traditions. There is also the opportunity to build and nourish relationships between current students and House alumni.
At Northwestern, there are two main housing models: residence hall, and residential colleges. The primary difference between the two models is the involvement of faculty. Residence halls are the traditional kind—students build a community and sustain it. They house as few as 25 students to larger residences with more than 500. Each building has its own character, spirit, and unique offerings. Residential colleges, on the other hand, offer more opportunities for faculty engagement and programming as well as a sense of community built through returning residents and longstanding faculty affiliations.
Academics
Northwestern has its own schools in communication, education, engineering, journalism, and music—alongside its college of arts and sciences. The Medill School of Journalism is the only one of its kind offered through a top private university. The McCormick School of Engineering offers five year co-op opportunities. The Bienen School of Music offers a five-year program from which students emerge with two B.A. degrees. Unlike most schools on a 10-week quarter system, Northwesterners take four (not three) courses each quarter, except in engineering, where students can take up to five.
For those who are interested in attending medical school Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program (NUPSP) is an early MD acceptance program for selected Northwestern undergraduate students who have completed two full years of undergraduate study with a demonstrated commitment to a career in medicine into Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine..
UChicago is known for its distribution requirements known as the Common Core. Regardless of major, 15 to 18 of a student’s 42 courses fall under the Core, which includes courses in the sciences and math, humanities, arts, social sciences, and a sequence of study in a specific civilization. There is a required writing tutorial as well.
UChicago does not have a separate communications department. It offers a journalism program through the Journalism, Arts, and Media major. It offers a BA in Music. Students interested in engineering can choose one of the following majors: Molecular Engineering, Molecular Engineering Technology and Innovation, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
The Accelerated Medical Scholars Program allows selected undergrads at UChicago to begin medical school during their fourth year,
Campus Life
The University of Chicago has over 450 student-run organizations. You can join niche interest organizations from Jugglers Enriching Lives Like Yours (JELLY) to the Ludic Union for the Investigation of Gaming Interfaces (LUIGI). UChicago’s a cappella scene is one of the highest-ranked in the country, and Chicago is an art-loving city with a number of museums such as The Art Institute of Chicago and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Students can also go off-campus and enjoy the symphony, opera, and dance or watch a show by the Second City comedy improv troupe (invented by University of Chicago undergrads). The university provides students with free, unlimited access to all parts of the city via public transportation, and Arts Pass offers free or discounted student admission to city art, theater, and cultural events.
Greek life enjoys a large and growing presence at UChicago. There are more than 20 Greek organizations currently operating on campus, including four sororities within the UChicago Panhellenic Council. Most fraternities have houses off-campus while none of UChicago’s sororities has a house. Sports are a big part of UChicago campus life, with over 500 varsity athletes, numerous club teams, and robust intramural sports programs.
Northwestern has nearly 500 student organizations on campus. Some of the best-known organizations include A&O Productions, which specializes in putting together live entertainment events on campus, including concerts, speakers and movie nights; Mayfest Productions which organizes the country’s largest student-run music festival; Survivor Northwestern, which recreates the teams, challenges and drama of the hit show Survivor. For journalism enthusiasts, The Daily Northwestern has been Northwestern and Evanston’s daily news source since 1881.
Greek life is a large part of Northwestern’s campus. 18% of the campus community join one of the 16 Fraternities, 17 sororities or 1 co-ed organization. Northwestern also has a big athletic presence on campus—with the school hosting 21 NCAA Division I teams. As part of the Big Ten conference, the Wildcats have dominated college athletics, boasting multiple Big Ten football championships and a 2024 NCAA women’s field hockey championship.
If you’re having a hard time choosing between Northwestern and UChicago, consider what you’re looking for in terms of location, specific academics, or emphasis on Greek life. Look over the specific course offerings and undergraduate requirements and make your decision wisely.
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