Match #1
Cleary University
Howell, MI
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate68%
- 738 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Midsize
- Graduation rate 68%, close to 64%
- Acceptance rate 68%, close to 65%
The colleges most similar to Northwood University are Cleary University, Menlo College, and Hult International Business School. Northwood University admits 65% of applicants and has an average net price of $25,908 a year; 3 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 2 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Northwood University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Northwood University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Menlo College
Atherton, CA
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate68%
- 752 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Acceptance rate 68%, close to 65%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #3
Hult International Business School
Cambridge, MA
Profile closeness67/100
Admit rate60%
- 618 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 60%, close to 64%
- Acceptance rate 60%, close to 65%
Match #4
Babson College
Wellesley, MA
Profile closeness53/100
Admit rate17%
- 2,728 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 2,728 students, close to 1,974
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Oak Valley College
Rialto, CA
Profile closeness40/100
Admit rate—
- 75 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #6
Pacific States University
Los Angeles, CA
Profile closeness27/100
Admit rate—
- 44 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #7
Williamson Christian College
Franklin, TN
Profile closeness24/100
Admit rate—
- 41 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #8
Lincoln University-California
Oakland, CA
Profile closeness38/100
Admit rate—
- 204 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #9
American College of Financial Services
King of Prussia, PA
Profile closeness46/100
Admit rate—
- 5,144 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #10
Walsh College-Michigan
Troy, MI
Profile closeness40/100
Admit rate—
- 445 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Questions about Northwood University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Northwood University?
The closest matches to Northwood University are Cleary University, Menlo College, Hult International Business School, Babson College, and Oak Valley College. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Northwood University hard to get into?
Northwood University admitted 65% of its 1,123 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is moderately selective. 2 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Northwood University alternatives cost less?
3 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Northwood University ($25,908 a year), including Oak Valley College ($10,656), Lincoln University-California ($10,889), and Cleary University ($19,651). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
