Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Northwestern College, Hanover College, Augustana College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | NorthwesternOrange City, IA | HanoverHanover, IN | AugustanaRock Island, IL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 80.4% | 83.7% | 62.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedNorthwestern College reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1110–1280 | 1030–1270 |
| Average net price | $25,90724.7% on Pell grants | $21,82925.8% on Pell grants | $22,73624.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $36,710Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $44,638Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $51,598Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.0% | 67.1% | 72.9% |
| First-year retention | 73.5% | 81.8% | 82.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 24.7% | 25.8% | 24.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $49,802 | $53,957 | $62,971 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,249 | $25,250 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 11:1 | 11:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,175 | 1,031 | 2,490 |
| Consensus percentile | 51Lower is better | 52Lower is better | 50Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 50 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 27 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 67 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Northwestern | Hanover | Augustana |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #43 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #103 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #100 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #346 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #1137 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1001 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1123 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #37 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | Not ranked by this source | #1035 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Northwestern College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Hanover College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Augustana College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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