<p>It’s a valid question. </p>
<p>Some people will point to lower faculty:student ratio, though in my economics classes (at NU) I rarely had <30 kids in a classroom, and regularly over 150.</p>
<p>Some people will point to higher average salary for faculty at Northwestern, though the cost of living in Evanston is higher. ([Workplace:</a> Pay for Professors - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2005/04/25/pay]Workplace:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2005/04/25/pay))</p>
<p>The answer is really in the quality of the students. Studies have shown that university students gain the most not from their classroom experience, but from their interactions with peers, and after finishing college I find this largely to be true. The SAT ranges for the two schools are as follows:</p>
<p>UofI: 1180-1410
NU: 1360-1530</p>
<p>As you can see, UofI’s top 25% is barely above Northwestern’s bottom 25%. Of course, there are smart kids at University of Illinois and I’m sure any student there would be able to find a group of smart, like-minded peers, however this social group would exist in the context of a campus where 75% of the students scored below a 1410 on their SATs.</p>
<p>Since I transferred from a public university similar in some ways to UofI I can tell you that the quality of education is largely THE SAME between the two schools (in terms of professors, classroom experience, etc.). I know that will come as a shock to many. If anything, the quality of education at Northwestern can even be worse because there is a certain aura of arrogance and entitlement that can be sensed from the professors which is not felt at a public school where, in general, I felt professors conducted themselves with more humility and candor. </p>
<p>However when it comes to student body there is ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON. Since the majority of your time is spent in the dorms, living with roommates, socializing, in the library, this is truly what is important.</p>
<p>PS: I am not suggesting that SAT scores are everything, but I think you will find, upon visiting schools, that higher SAT scores are highly correlated with people who “have a plan” and are working hard to “be something” after college.</p>