Public Bachelor's Strong 78/100

Northwest College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Powell, Wyoming

About Northwest College

Thinking about Northwest College, a college in Wyoming where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Northwest College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Powell, Wyoming. It enrolls 890 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
29.4%
Net Price
$7,463
Median Earnings (10yr)
$36,950
Enrollment
890
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
78/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 73
Value 77
Affordability 46
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Northwest College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $7,463 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$7,463
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
18%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
7%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,962
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,262
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,474
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,878
Books & Supplies
$1,456
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,998
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,998
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,898

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $7,390
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $6,822
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,961
  • Over $110,000
    $7,821

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,775
10% percentile
$3,144
25% percentile
$10,000
Median percentile
$11,000
75% percentile
$17,835
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $8,000 ↓ $2,000
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $4,500
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $4,500
Independent students $9,954 —
Female students $6,500 ↓ $3,500
Male students $5,500 ↓ $4,500
Pell recipients: 19.5% (1,953 students)No Pell: 13.4% (1,343 students)Dependent students: 13.4% (1,343 students)Independent students: 24.3% (2,431 students)Female students: 15.9% (1,587 students)Male students: 13.4% (1,343 students)Overall Median$10,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($10,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

29% of students who start here finish within six years. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
29%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $36,950 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$36,950
Earning > $25K
62%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,500$34,000$35,000$36,500$37,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$27,700

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$49,000

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$42,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$37,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $21,300, about 43% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 17.5 pts across 6 years
64.3%1yr72.9%3yr81.2%5yr81.8%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 890 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 36% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
890
Part-Time
25%
First-Generation
36%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 69.1% 615
International 11.6% 103
Hispanic 8.4% 75
Other 4.5% 40
Asian 0.8% 7
Black 0.3% 3
White: 69.1% (615 students)International: 11.6% (103 students)Hispanic: 8.4% (75 students)Other: 4.5% (40 students)Asian: 0.8% (7 students)Black: 0.3% (3 students)Total890

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Northwest College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Powell, Wyoming
Housing
Strongly residential 632 beds for 890 students
Adult Learners
18% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Northwest College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 41 distinct programs across 22 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

6 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,186
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$31M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,410
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

52 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 3 6% $80,170
Associate Professors 15 29% $69,192
Assistant Professors 17 33% $69,100
Instructors 17 33% $58,836

Pros & Cons of Northwest College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Northwest College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Northwest College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest College

The questions families ask most about Northwest College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Northwest College cost?
Budget around $7,463 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northwest College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $36,950 a year against a net price of $7,463, about 5.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Northwest College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Northwest College graduates earn?
About $36,950 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northwest College accredited?
Yes. Northwest College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Northwest College?
890 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Northwest College?
29% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Northwest College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Northwest College located?
Northwest College is located in Powell, Wyoming.
What programs does Northwest College offer?
41 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Northwest College?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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