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September 3, 2025
After an exhilarating Wildcat Welcome and a week to size up their Evanston campus home, Northwestern’s newest undergraduate students are set to begin their first quarter.
Yesterday, the orientation finale featured the annual class photo on the lakefront and the new student convocation — a chance for University leaders to impart a few final words of wisdom and advice before the first day of class: Be fearless; try something new; find joy (and a proper wardrobe) in every season.
Vice President of Enrollment Stacey Kostell spoke on behalf of Northwestern’s admissions team as she told the class that “each of you stood out in your own unique way.”
They do everything
“You are brilliant, accomplished, engaged and community-minded,” Kostell said. “You are leaders: student body presidents, editors in chief and team captains.
“You are researchers and innovators. One of you founded a highly profitable marketing agency that was featured on NPR and ABC. You are writers, reporters and podcast hosts.
“You are EMTs and wilderness first responders. You are athletes. You’ve performed at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. And at least one of you has been in two Broadway musicals. You’ve held part-time jobs as tutors, cashiers, ice cream scoopers.”
They’re from everywhere
Although Northwestern can’t yet report official statistics, preliminary data shows a remarkable cohort of new Wildcats selected from more than 53,000 applications last year.
Coming from 48 states and over 80 countries, the Class of 2029 and new transfers represent over 1,400 secondary schools. They hold more than 75 citizenships and speak more than 90 languages.
The class also reflects Northwestern’s continued commitment to affordability and college access, with over 160 QuestBridge students, 10 new scholars in the University’s 13th Posse cohort, three Chicago City College Start Scholars among transfers, as well as better than 30% growth in rural and small-town populations due to continued support and collaboration across the STARS College Network.
They will explore broadly
New students this year will pursue a diverse range of majors — from neuroscience and philosophy to jazz studies and mechanical engineering — and dual degrees between human communication sciences and biomedical engineering or journalism and the School of Education and Social Policy, which welcomes a historically large class over 50% larger than in recent years. Meanwhile, roughly 6% of incoming first-year students applied as “undecided.”
“We’re excited to see these bright minds seize the opportunity inherent in Northwestern’s interdisciplinary, liberal arts setting where the sky is the limit and our quarter system allows the flexibility to explore broadly, engage with new ideas and change your mind as you learn more about yourself and the world around you,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Liz Kinsley.
Data in this story reflects class makeup as of September 2025. The University Enrollment website will feature final data about incoming students after Northwestern’s official census in October.
