Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Northeastern University admitted 5.2% of applicants university-wide (5,133 of 98,425).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide5.2%5,13398,425
In-state10.8%1,33212,304
Out-of-state4.6%3,07667,424
International applicants3.8%67117,616
Early Decision (binding)43.0%1,4923,466
Men4.8%2,05842,678
Women5.5%3,07455,719

Early Decision applicants were admitted at 43%, vs 5.2% overall — ED is a binding commitment.

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 5,133 admitted students, 2,759 enrolled (53.8% yield).

Northeastern University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1450–1520
ACT (mid-50%)
33–35
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.50–4.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Northeastern University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $90,582/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$64,990
Fees, housing, food, books & other$25,592
Sticker cost of attendance$90,582/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$2,264
$30k–48k$2,436
$48k–75k$5,301
$75k–110k$16,241
Over $110k$47,696

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Dean's Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Northeastern University Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Achievement Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Global Scholars Award — $5,000 per year for sophomore through senior year (Other)
  • National Merit Scholarship — Full tuition and room and board (Full Tuition)
  • Northeastern Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • University Scholars Program — Full tuition plus additional benefits (Full Tuition)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • Dean's Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Northeastern University Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Achievement Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Global Scholars Award — $5,000 per year for sophomore through senior year (Other)
  • International Need-Based Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • University Scholars Program — Full tuition plus additional benefits (Full Tuition)

Northeastern University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • School Counselor Recommendation
  • Teacher Recommendation
  • Additional Recommendation (optional)
  • High School Transcript
  • Mid-Year Report
  • Narrative Reports (if non-traditional grading)
  • GED Score Report
  • SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
  • English Language Proficiency Test Results
  • Portfolio (College of Arts, Media and Design) (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • School Counselor Recommendation
  • Teacher Recommendation
  • Additional Recommendation (optional)
  • High School Transcript
  • Mid-Year Report
  • Narrative Reports (if non-traditional grading)
  • GED Score Report
  • SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
  • English Language Proficiency Test Results
  • Portfolio (College of Arts, Media and Design) (optional)
  • Application fee
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Northeastern University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Personal Statement500 words · Optional

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$92,538
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
90.5%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
96.9%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$24,250
At graduation

Northeastern University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #46
  • WSJ: #210
  • Forbes: #113
  • Niche: #39
  • QS: #384

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
  • 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
  • 2027-01-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Northeastern University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (21%), Computer & information sciences (16%), Engineering (15%).

Student–faculty ratio: 16:1 · 51% of class sections have under 20 students.

Northeastern University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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