Safety Score
6.25 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Evanston, IL · Clery Act 2023 · Private Nonprofit
Northwestern University
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 23,203-student campus.
- 6.25
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,701
- Rank of 3,050
- #108
- IL rank
- 23,203
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Northwestern University reports 6.25 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,701 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 91% of ranked campuses its size.
- 6.25
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,701
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 91%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 132
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Northwestern University increased from 35 to 132 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesNorthwestern University is a Private Nonprofit institution located in Evanston, IL, enrolling approximately 23,203 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 201 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within IL, it ranks #108 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 23,203 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Northwestern University is "Motor Vehicle Theft" with 136 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in IL averaging 2.21 incidents per 1,000 students, Northwestern University reports 183% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 1 total fire. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 54 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#2701
See peer comparison
State Rank (IL)
#108
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
132
across 11 crime categories
Where Northwestern University sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
6 safer than 9% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Northwestern University percentile rank 11.4%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2701 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Northwestern University reports 183% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $68,322
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $68,322
- Avg Net Price
- $29,167
- Median Debt
- $15,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 19%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- SAT Average
- 1533
- SAT Math Range
- 770–800
- ACT Average
- 35
- ACT Range
- 33–35
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 96%
- Retention Rate
- 98%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $76,844
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $89,363
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 91%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 23,203 enrolled students, Northwestern University is in the largest 3% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyNorthwestern University: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 288% (34 → 132 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Arson | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Burglary | 19 | 3 | 3 |
| Fondling | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 103 | 21 | 12 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Robbery | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
54 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 4 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 201 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
Northwestern University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
IL
Northwestern University
6.25 incidents / 1,000 students
IL
College of DuPage
0.26 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
Santa Monica College
0.39 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL · 23,216 enrolled
Safety Score 0.26
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, CA · 23,164 enrolled
Safety Score 0.39
St Petersburg College
Largo, FL · 23,350 enrolled
Safety Score 0.17
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, CO · 23,409 enrolled
Safety Score 9.01
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO · 23,418 enrolled
Safety Score 1.20
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Northwestern University nationally (rank #2701), regardless of size or state.
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
National Rank #2700
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH
National Rank #2702
Missouri Valley College
Marshall, MO
National Rank #2699
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
National Rank #2703
The University of Olivet
Olivet, MI
National Rank #2698
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Northwestern University safe?
Northwestern University has a safety score of 6.25 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,701 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Northwestern University?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Northwestern University compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in IL.
Does Northwestern University have fire safety data?
Yes. Northwestern University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Northwestern University's Safety Profile
Northwestern University in Evanston, IL enrolls 23,203 students and has a safety score of 6.25 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2701 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 35 in 2022 to 132 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Northwestern University's 6.25 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Northwestern University against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.