“As a student from a small, rural town in Tennessee, I never expected the breadth of opportunities that awaited me at Northwestern. The academic, extracurricular, and social possibilities afforded to me during my time at the university would have been unfathomable to my high-school self.” –Bryce ’22

At Northwestern, we believe that diversity—of background, identity, belief, interest, expertise—is essential to undergraduate learning and to a healthy society. We convene a community of open-minded individuals who are eager to benefit from and contribute to the world of perspectives on campus, and we are committed to ensuring students from rural areas and small towns are well represented in this community. Your unique societal lenses are invaluable to our exchange of ideas, and to the conversations that help students learn and grow outside of the classroom—insights linked to growing up in geographically remote settings, or in communities where college-going isn’t necessarily a given after high school, or in local economies driven by agriculture. Your experiences and identities are many-layered, and intersectional viewpoints like yours make possible the inclusive teaching and learning emphasized on Northwestern’s campus. We are likewise committed to removing the barriers to college access that rural and small-town students often encounter through a combination of tailored programming, information-sharing, regional connections (we’ll come to you!), and of course our generous financial aid policies, which meet full demonstrated need for all undergraduates with no loans.