Campus and city
Northwestern occupies a 240-acre campus along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Evanston, a charming college town with independent shops, diverse restaurants, and a walkable downtown. The Lakefill, a man-made peninsula extending into the lake, serves as the social heart of campus for studying, socializing, and watching sunsets over the Chicago skyline. Big Ten athletics drive school spirit with football at the newly rebuilt Ryan Field and basketball at Welsh-Ryan Arena creating major social events each season. Over 500 registered student organizations cover everything from a cappella groups to entrepreneurship clubs to cultural organizations. Approximately 25 percent of students participate in Greek life which anchors much of the weekend social scene particularly for underclassmen. Downtown Chicago is accessible in 30 minutes via the CTA Purple Line providing access to world-class dining, museums, concerts, and professional sports. Winters are genuinely cold with temperatures regularly below freezing from December through February and lake-effect wind adding bite. However campus life remains active with indoor events, Norris University Center programming, and beloved traditions including Dillo Day, the largest student-run music festival in the country.