Where is Northwestern?

The main campus of Northwestern University is located in the northern Chicago suburb of Evanston, Ill. The 240-acre campus is located along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A separate, 25-acre campus in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood houses the law and medical schools.

The private university was established in 1851. Roughly 21,000 students are spread across 12 colleges, 10 of which offer graduate and professional programs. A top-tier research institution specializing in the physical and life sciences, Northwestern recently ranked 13th among national universities in the U.S. News list of best colleges. Athletic teams compete as the Wildcats in the Big Ten Conference.