Many courses at Northwest require a specific background so that students are qualified to do the work in the course. This is particularly true of introductory math and English courses. College courses are rigorous, and Northwest strives to ensure that students take classes appropriate to their backgrounds.

All incoming students are given placement rankings which indicate which courses are appropriate for them to take. Placement can be determined in several different ways. ACT scores can be used or the COMPASS placement test can be taken on campus.