<p>In humanities and history, both schools have very strong departments: I think that UVA English and history grad programs are rated slightly higher by the NRC (which matters for undergrads because it includes factors such as perceived faculty quality, libraries, etc), and that Northwestern undergrad is rated slightly higher in USN&WR rankings. But the differences in ranking are so small that I don’t think they really matter. Knowing lots of faculty in both places, I think it’s going to be a wash academically. I think it’s also likely to be a wash in terms of setting/social factors. Therefore if I were you I’d go for the cheaper option. You’ll get a great education in either school.</p>