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Students enthuse that Northwestern University "has everything," including "nationally acclaimed programs for almost anything anyone could be interested in, from engineering to theater to journalism to music." With such a diverse array of academic options, students appreciate that "everything is given fairly equal weight. Northwestern students and faculty do not show a considerable bias" toward specific fields. One student adds, "The strength of the school is its range." Northwestern encourages students to pursue multidisciplinary paths, with approximately 74% of undergraduates choosing to combine two or more areas of study. For instance, one student on campus is successfully pursuing a dual degree in trumpet performance as well as engineering. Additionally, Northwestern features "all the perks" of a big school, including "many opportunities'' for research and internships. The university provides undergraduate support in applying for grants and fellowships, as well as for presenting and publishing findings. That said, "Northwestern is not an easy school. It takes hard work to be average here." Northwestern attracts students who "learn from [their] failures quickly and love to learn for the sake of learning rather than the grade." In addition to receiving an outstanding education, students appreciate the "many connections and opportunities [available to them] during and after graduation."

Known for being engaged in and out of the classroom, the typical Northwestern undergrad "is an excellent student who works hard" and is "intelligent but laid-back." It's quite common to make a new friend who "was high school class president with a 4.0, swim team captain, and on the chess team." If students offer a critique of the culture at Northwestern, it's that "there's [a] great separation between North Campus (think: fraternities, engineering, state school mentality) and South Campus (think: closer to Chicago and its culture, arts and letters, liberal arts school mentality). Students segregate themselves depending on background and interests, and it's rare for these two groups to interact beyond a superficial level." Regardless of which side of campus they live on, most "students at Northwestern are [passionate] about what they love," which fosters a dynamic and engaged community for everyone.

With a sprawling campus in Evanston and a smaller campus in Chicago proper, Northwestern offers students the traditional college experiences such as “great extracurriculars and good parties,” as well as big-city fun. The Evanston campus is informally divided into north and south, each with its own distinct character. In North Evanston, “you can find a party every night of the week,” and “the Greek scene is strong.” Meanwhile, the “South Campus is nice and quiet in its own way. I enjoy reading and watching movies here, and the quietude is appreciated when study time rolls around.” The South Campus is also closer to town, so “it is easy” to “buy dinner, see a show at the movies, and go shopping.” Overall, the South Campus is “more artsy and has minimal partying on weeknights.” The convenient on-campus shuttle allows for easy travel to the Chicago campus and the city, which students love visiting. Chicago “is a wonderful resource. People go into the city for a wide variety of things—daily excursions, jobs, internships, nights out, parties, etc.” Athletics are a big deal at Northwestern, and as a founding member of the Big Ten, students “attend some of the best sporting events in the country.” In addition to sports, the extracurriculars are “incredible here. There is a group for every interest, and the groups are amazingly well-managed by students.” Many students “are involved in plays, a cappella groups, comedy troupes, and other organizations geared toward the performing arts. Activism is also very popular, with many involved in political groups, human-rights activism, and volunteering.”

The university’s Northwestern Career Advancement office (NCA) aims to empower students to research their future careers “just like you do research for classes” in order to find the best fit. NCA offers resources on finding a major, an internship, or a job, applying to graduate school, and honing employment skills like writing résumés and cover letters or being a fantastic interviewee. If students are unsure about which career path is for them, they can participate in a Career Trek to cities like New York City or Washington D.C., where they meet with professionals and are given some perspective on different industries. They can also reach out to alumni for informational interviews using the Our Northwestern online hub or the Northwestern Network Mentorship Program. The Northwestern Externship Program (NEXT) is also an excellent resource for guidance and experiential learning opportunities, allowing students to job shadow alumni and learn about a wide variety of fields. Northwestern graduates who visited PayScale.com report a median starting salary of $75,800, and 47 percent say that they derive a high level of meaning from their jobs.