<p>First, I’m not a fan of Dartmouth or Northwestern nor do I dislike either school.</p>
<p>THES makes no sense from any perspective and Gourman’s is biased towards research universities and nine years old (which is a nice counterbalance, actually, as Princeton Review and USNews favor small, rich schools like Dartmouth.) The Chinese ranking also puts Northwestern over Dartmouth. USNews </p>
<p>If the OP is considering grad school in econ (I assume he isn’t):
Recs are very important in econ grad admissions. It is a huge advantage to go to a school with a great grad program so you can get these recs (if you aren’t good enough to attract their attention in undergrad, econ grad school is pretty unrealistic. It is VERY difficult to get into). You’d be in a great position to get admitted to NU’s grad school. The UChicago profs would also almost certainly take more seriously recs from NU’s department than Dartmouth’s.</p>
<p>If the OP is not considering grad school in econ:
All other things being equal, would you rather live in Chicagoland or on the East Coast? An econ degree from either school will, if you’re a top student, get you a fantastic job. Each probably carries more weight in its own region, especially with regional good-ol’-boy networks. </p>
<p>Prestige:
Dartmouth has a bit more prestige as the term is usually meant on these boards due to its greater selectivity. Almost no one has ever heard of it. Far more people will be impressed if you go to NU.</p>
<p>The two schools are extremely different. You’d have to pay me to go to Dartmouth (not financial aid, substantial cash payments beyond the cost of the school). A great many people are the other way around. I find it hard to believe that this is actually a difficult choice. Could you provide a bit more info about what factors you’re concerned with?</p>