Review Northwestern University's swim level by event, roster profile, and international admissions requirements — cost, aid and verified source evidence. Use this page to decide whether Northwestern University belongs on your college list.
A direct read: how strong the program is, what kind of athlete fits, and what an international applicant must check.
27 men and 31 women, 8 coaches. See the event time bands below to gauge the recruiting standard.
International students make up 11.6% of the student body. Language, deadlines and aid are detailed below with source status.
Graduation rate 95%; median earnings $89,363 (U.S. College Scorecard).
The team's current-roster SCY (25-yard) times — each swimmer's best, last 4 years. This is the most direct read on the recruiting bar.
| Gender | Event (SCY) | Swimmers | Fastest | Top 25% | Median | Last raced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 50 Free | 17 | 19.22 | 19.93 | 20.47 | 2026-03-26 |
| Men | 100 Free | 16 | 41.76 | 43.65 | 44.61 | 2026-03-28 |
| Men | 200 Free | 16 | 1:33.13 | 1:35.78 | 1:37.87 | 2026-03-26 |
| Men | 500 Free | 10 | 4:13.28 | 4:23.87 | 4:28.71 | 2026-02-27 |
| Men | 50 Back | 9 | 20.74 | 21.85 | 23.08 | 2026-03-27 |
| Men | 100 Back | 8 | 44.55 | 45.71 | 46.91 | 2026-03-27 |
| Men | 200 Back | 9 | 1:39.32 | 1:42.86 | 1:46.16 | 2026-03-28 |
| Men | 50 Breast | 8 | 24.43 | 24.89 | 25.10 | 2026-02-26 |
| Men | 100 Breast | 8 | 51.83 | 53.39 | 53.52 | 2026-02-26 |
| Men | 200 Breast | 8 | 1:52.93 | 1:55.82 | 1:56.92 | 2026-02-27 |
| Men | 50 Fly | 15 | 20.73 | 21.52 | 22.34 | 2026-02-26 |
| Men | 100 Fly | 19 | 44.66 | 46.78 | 48.23 | 2026-03-26 |
| Men | 200 Fly | 9 | 1:41.40 | 1:44.38 | 1:46.77 | 2026-03-07 |
| Men | 100 IM | 5 | 48.47 | 48.91 | 49.20 | 2025-10-24 |
| Men | 200 IM | 11 | 1:41.61 | 1:44.75 | 1:46.25 | 2026-03-28 |
| Women | 50 Free | 22 | 21.98 | 22.92 | 23.57 | 2026-03-19 |
| Women | 100 Free | 17 | 47.90 | 49.65 | 50.23 | 2026-03-01 |
| Women | 200 Free | 18 | 1:44.06 | 1:46.71 | 1:49.13 | 2026-03-01 |
| Women | 500 Free | 10 | 4:41.11 | 4:48.34 | 4:55.73 | 2026-03-20 |
| Women | 50 Back | 15 | 24.41 | 25.59 | 26.52 | 2026-02-18 |
| Women | 100 Back | 14 | 52.69 | 54.05 | 55.13 | 2026-02-21 |
| Women | 200 Back | 8 | 1:55.25 | 1:56.73 | 1:58.40 | 2026-02-21 |
| Women | 50 Breast | 11 | 28.31 | 28.48 | 29.27 | 2026-02-21 |
| Women | 100 Breast | 11 | 1:00.31 | 1:00.71 | 1:02.02 | 2026-03-01 |
| Women | 200 Breast | 8 | 2:11.57 | 2:13.32 | 2:15.80 | 2026-02-20 |
| Women | 50 Fly | 17 | 24.17 | 24.74 | 25.40 | 2026-02-19 |
| Women | 100 Fly | 20 | 52.34 | 53.79 | 54.95 | 2026-02-19 |
| Women | 200 Fly | 11 | 1:57.38 | 1:59.78 | 2:00.28 | 2026-02-21 |
| Women | 100 IM | 5 | 55.83 | 55.95 | 57.77 | 2025-10-24 |
| Women | 200 IM | 16 | 1:56.87 | 2:01.55 | 2:03.30 | 2026-02-21 |
See how Northwestern University's level compares — full NCAA I time bands and rankings for each event:
How many current swimmers race each event — men vs women. Heavier bars mean the program carries more depth there.
Northwestern University competes in NCAA I with 58 swimmers (27 men, 31 women) and 8 coaches. Use the depth below with the event time bands above to judge whether your event is a strength of this program.
What an international applicant needs — each field with its source status. "Not disclosed" is never treated as zero.
Minimum English scores international applicants are expected to meet.
Application systems, fee $75, RD deadline January 2.
International financial aid policy recorded for 2025-2026.
| Field | Value | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL minimum | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| IELTS minimum | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Application systems | Common App;Coalition | Verified |
| Application fee | $75 | Verified |
| RD deadline | January 2 | Verified |
| Int'l tuition | $68,322 | Gov data |
| Total cost (COA) | $91,250 | Gov data |
| Aid for international | Need-aware | Pending |
Strong enough athletically is only half the call — families still need cost, aid and return.
Annual total cost from government data. International tuition $68,322.
Shown as recorded; "Not disclosed" never converted into "no aid".
Graduation rate 95%. Context, not a promise of individual outcome (Scorecard).
Real source snippets behind the international admissions fields — with status and a link to check the original.
Northwestern University competes in NCAA I and carries 58 swimmers. Compare your event time with the team bands above to judge the athletic fit before anything else.
International applicants should then check language requirements (Not disclosed TOEFL / Not disclosed IELTS), application systems, deadlines, total cost ($91,250) and aid (Need-aware) — all shown above with source status.
Start with the event standards to see if your times are near Northwestern University's range. Then review admissions, cost and aid. Save it to your list only if athletic, academic and financial signals all make sense.
This page is informational and does not guarantee recruiting interest or admission. The goal is a better, evidence-backed college list.
Direct answers from this school's recorded data.
Enter your event, time and age. Swim to College will show where you stand vs same-age college swimmers and compare programs that may fit better.
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