HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Northwestern University vs University of Chicago

University of Chicago clears +$1.43M in 30-year net value, Northwestern University +$1.02M — both pay off, University of Chicago by +$416K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Northwestern University · Evanston, IL

30-year net value
+$1.02M
Total cost of attendance
$345,324
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$75,437
Breaks even by age
—

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.43M
Total cost of attendance
$339,360
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$79,305
Breaks even by age
47
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Northwestern University vs University of Chicago: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/northwestern-vs-uchicago

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Questions

Is Northwestern University or University of Chicago a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, University of Chicago clears +$1.43M and Northwestern University +$1.02M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Chicago comes out ahead by +$416K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Chicago pay off than Northwestern University?
About +$416K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.43M vs +$1.02M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Northwestern University?
+$1.02M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $345,324, median earnings ten years out $75,437. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.