Is Northwestern University a good company to work for?

Northwestern University has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 4,470 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. 75% of employees would recommend working at Northwestern University to a friend and 53% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Northwestern University have been left by employees working as Peer Mentor , Professor and Undergraduate Research Assistant .

Does Northwestern University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Northwestern University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Northwestern University. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Northwestern University?

75% of Northwestern University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Northwestern University 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Northwestern University?

Research Assistant (229) , Postdoctoral Fellow (191) , Graduate Research Assistant (133) , Graduate Student (105) , PhD Student (91) , Program Assistant (73) , Research Associate (63) , Clinical Research Coordinator (52) , PhD Graduate Student (52) , PhD Candidate (46) , Program Coordinator (42) , Administrative Assistant (33) , Research Study Coordinator (33) , Research Technologist II (32) , Researcher (32)

What are the pros of working at Northwestern University according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefits for both exempt and non" ((in 510 reviews)); "Great people and students to work with" ((in 234 reviews)); "Beautiful campus and a lot of supporting facilities for all kinds of student and staff activities." ((in 144 reviews)); "Great colleagues and students to work with" ((in 89 reviews)); "A good work environment and hiring program" ((in 85 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Northwestern University according to real employee reviews?

"Pay can be low and enjoyment of my work has depended on my manager and culture of the unit I’ve worked in." ((in 302 reviews)); "Top down administrative style does not work well for a learning institution where salaries are low and expectations are high" ((in 177 reviews)); "There is not any 360 feedback so if you have a bad manager, chances are you are stuck." ((in 30 reviews)); "Incompetent and Toxic Leadership (especially in Central administration and HR)" ((in 27 reviews)); "No communication" ((in 26 reviews))

What are employees saying about Northwestern University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Northwestern University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Northwestern University in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Northwestern University locations?

Evanston , Chicago , San Francisco , Los Angeles , Chicago Heights , DeKalb , Geneva , Lake Forest , New York , Glenview , Naperville , North Chicago , Washington , Evanston , Evansville , Boston , South Evanston , Princeton , Morton Grove , Northbrook , Palos Heights , Schaumburg , Skokie , Wilmette , Winfield , Illinois City , Arlington , Saint Louis , Commack , Milwaukee

Northwestern University reviews

4.0

75% would recommend to a friend

(4,087 total reviews)

Michael Schill

56% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,087 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Northwestern University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 4,087 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Northwestern University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

3.0

Mar 19, 2024

Toxic Chemistry Department

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great people, colleagues like other graduate students. Great facilities, great office staff for the department.

Cons

Most professors are elitist and racist. The faculty say some of the most out of pocket things. Even those who seem to care for their student workers, or are people of color, themselves, are putting on a facade and really just trying to climb the ladder by being one of the white corporate professors at the department. They have treated students of color poorly and have not found ways to work with them.

2.0

Aug 23, 2023

Great Coworkers But Poor Institutional Priorities

Senior program coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

• Great Coworkers. Everyone’s super mission-oriented, smart and resourceful. Really some of the most engaging, interesting people I’ve had a chance to work with in my career. • Great Students. The student body is also brilliant, highly engaged and genuinely fun to interact with. • The Campus. The Evanston Campus (and even the downtown Chicago campus) are beautiful. Everything you’d expect from a classically, collegiate environment. • The Benefits. Health, Dental, HSA, + tuition benefits are terrific (esp. for those with children or families to support)

Cons

• The Culture. Very status conscious culture. I was routinely patronized, gaslit and condescended to by select faculty and senior-level leadership. • Work/Life Balance. Senior leaders lean on middle management to work excessive amounts of overtime. Everybody has a constant scarcity mindset, and yet there’s no effort to scale back program scope (lest students wonder where all their tuition dollars are going). • Institutional Priorities. The casual dismissal of the local Evanston community, the benefiting from (tax-free) real estate speculation, and the massive capital projects that have absolutely nothing to do with its mission (even as their staff and student workers are driven to distraction) overall signaled to me an institution profoundly out of touch with its environment. • Compensation. COLA (even in the best of times) rarely made up for the rate of inflation, so you can expect your purchasing power to decrease every year you stay in your job. Promotions will come with a one-time 10-15% increase in your pay, but usually at the cost of more hours.

1.0

Feb 1, 2023

Toxic

Animal care technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Co workers Pay Commute Food court Down town area Parking

Cons

CCM management Toxic workplace Unfair Misogynistic Unrealistic Middle management

Viewing 22 - 24 of 4,087 Reviews

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