Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is ranked #1 in the US for undergraduate journalism and communication programs by US News, making its Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ) one of the most sought-after undergraduate journalism degrees in the country. Medill blends hands-on newsroom-style training with Northwestern's broader liberal-arts and research resources, and its location a short train ride from downtown Chicago gives students unusually early access to real newsrooms, media companies, and internships. This guide covers what it takes to get into Northwestern's Journalism program, what it costs, English-test rules, and where graduates go.
Acceptance Rate
Northwestern does not publish a department- or major-specific acceptance rate for Journalism. Northwestern admits students to the university as a whole, not to Medill or a specific major directly at the point of the Common Application review, so there is no dedicated "Journalism acceptance rate":
- Northwestern's overall acceptance rate is approximately 7% for recent cycles, from an applicant pool exceeding 53,000 for a single class.
- The middle-50% SAT range for admitted students is 1430-1540, with the middle-50% ACT range at 33-35.
- Journalism is one of Northwestern's most popular undergraduate programs, and Medill's #1 US News ranking means it draws a highly self-selected, strong applicant pool even within Northwestern's already competitive process.
Bottom line: treat 7% as the honest, university-wide figure, since no Journalism-specific number exists. Applicants should approach Medill's BSJ as a reach program in line with Northwestern's overall selectivity.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Northwestern's published undergraduate cost of attendance applies uniformly across majors, including Journalism:
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $71,802 |
| Living expenses | $22,941 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $96,003 |
For a four-year BSJ, that puts total program cost at roughly $380,000-$390,000 before financial aid. Northwestern's application fee is $75. Tuition is identical for domestic and international students, and Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted international students with grants rather than loans, though admission itself is need-aware for international aid applicants.
Students who continue on to Medill's Master of Science in Journalism (one year) pay separate graduate tuition, which this site's research places at roughly $53,000-$71,000/year depending on the specific track and cohort, distinct from the undergraduate figure above.
Admission Requirements
Based on Northwestern's published undergraduate international-applicant requirements:
- Common Application or Coalition Application
- Northwestern-specific supplemental essays
- Official high school transcript, with certified English translation if applicable
- One counselor/administrator recommendation and one academic teacher recommendation
- Midyear grade report
- Optional SAT/ACT scores (Northwestern is currently test-optional)
- English proficiency test scores (IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo) for applicants whose first or primary language is not English, or whose secondary schooling was not conducted in English
Northwestern does not publish a minimum GPA, but competitive applicants typically present a GPA well above 3.85/4.0. Applicants to Medill are especially well served by demonstrating strong written and reported work ahead of applying, since journalism programs weigh writing samples and demonstrated storytelling ability heavily in holistic review. Early Decision closes November 1 (decisions mid-December); Regular Decision closes January 1 (decisions late March).
How to Get Into Northwestern's Journalism Program
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Build a portfolio of real reporting or writing before you apply. Medill's admissions committee responds to demonstrated storytelling ability, whether that is school newspaper bylines, a personal blog, video/audio reporting, or freelance work, not just strong grades in English class.
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Use your essays to show why journalism, specifically, and why Medill. Because Northwestern is test-optional and holistic, the supplemental essays are where a generic "strong student" application becomes a specific, memorable journalism applicant.
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Get a recommendation that speaks to your writing or reporting, not just your character. A teacher or advisor recommendation that describes specific instances of strong written work or intellectual curiosity carries more weight than a generic reference.
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Clear the implicit English-proficiency bar comfortably. Journalism is an unusually writing- and speaking-intensive field of study, so international applicants should aim well above Northwestern's recommended IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 100, since Medill's own coursework assumes fluent, publication-ready English from day one.
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Apply well ahead of deadlines. Submit a fully polished application before November 1 (Early Decision) or January 1 (Regular Decision) to avoid last-minute issues with transcripts, recommenders, or portfolio materials.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Northwestern does not publish a hard minimum score for undergraduate applicants, but it does publish a recommended benchmark:
- IELTS: no published minimum; recommended score of 7.0
- TOEFL: no published minimum; recommended score of 100
- Duolingo English Test is also accepted, though Northwestern does not publish a minimum score
- Waiver: Northwestern has no formal automatic waiver policy on its undergraduate FAQ; the requirement applies to applicants whose first/primary language is not English or whose secondary schooling was not conducted in English, judged case by case
- Northwestern does not offer conditional or pathway admission tied to English proficiency scores
Because Journalism is one of the most writing- and speaking-intensive fields at the undergraduate level, international applicants should treat the recommended IELTS 7.0/TOEFL 100 as a floor rather than a target. Notably, applicants who go on to Medill's graduate MS in Journalism face a looser formal policy: Medill has dropped IELTS entirely at the graduate level, accepting only TOEFL or the Duoligo English Test with no published minimum, which is a genuinely different (and more lenient) approach than the undergraduate BSJ described here.
Career Outcomes
Northwestern does not publish outcomes broken out specifically for Journalism, so the figures below reflect Northwestern's broader undergraduate outcomes data:
- Graduate employment rate after 6 months: ~70% (university-wide undergraduate figure)
- Average undergraduate starting salary: ~$73,478 (university-wide figure; entry-level journalism and media salaries specifically tend to sit below this blended average, which includes higher-paying STEM and business fields)
- Top recruiters (university-wide undergraduate): McKinsey & Company, Google, Goldman Sachs, Boston Consulting Group, Amazon, Deloitte
Medill's specific strength is its placement network into major newsrooms, media companies, and communications/PR roles, built on decades of alumni presence across US journalism, alongside the broader Northwestern brand that also opens doors in adjacent fields like corporate communications and media strategy consulting.
FAQ
Does Northwestern publish a separate acceptance rate for Journalism? No. Northwestern admits students to the university as a whole, not to a specific major, so there is no Journalism-specific acceptance rate. The best available figure is Northwestern's own overall acceptance rate of roughly 7%.
Is Medill's undergraduate Journalism program actually ranked #1? Yes, according to US News's Best Undergraduate Journalism/Communication Programs ranking for 2026, Medill holds the #1 spot, making it one of the most competitive and recognized journalism degrees in the country.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Northwestern's Journalism program? Northwestern publishes no hard minimum for undergraduates, only a recommended IELTS score of 7.0 or TOEFL score of 100. Given how writing- and speaking-intensive journalism coursework is, aim comfortably above these numbers.
How much does Northwestern's Journalism program cost for international students? Tuition is $71,802/year, with total estimated cost of attendance around $96,003/year, roughly $380,000-$390,000 for the full four-year degree before financial aid. Tuition is identical for domestic and international students.
Is financial aid available to international students at Northwestern? Yes. Northwestern meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted international undergraduates through grants rather than loans, though the admission process itself is need-aware (not need-blind) for non-citizens applying for aid.
Does Medill's graduate MS in Journalism have different English-test requirements than the undergraduate program? Yes, notably so. Medill's graduate MS in Journalism has dropped IELTS entirely, accepting only TOEFL or the Duolingo English Test with no published minimum, while the undergraduate BSJ program described in this guide follows Northwestern's general undergraduate policy (IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo, recommended but not required scores).