Northeastern University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Boston, Massachusetts. It enrolls 17,326 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
78/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes97
Value61
Affordability9
Selectivity98
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Northeastern University admits 5.2% of applicants, which makes it a reach for almost everyone, so treat it as one option among several.
Acceptance Rate
5.2%
Highly Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1440 – 1540
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
33 – 35
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Northeastern University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
12.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $30,915 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$66,162
Room & Board (on-campus)
$19,580
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,580
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,800
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,800
Total Cost of Attendance
$84,641
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$2,264
$30,001 – $48,000
$2,436
$48,001 – $75,000
$5,301
$75,001 – $110,000
$16,241
Over $110,000
$47,696
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,75710%percentile
$14,50025%percentile
$24,250Medianpercentile
$31,00075%percentile
$34,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $23,000
↓ $1,250
No Pell $21,333
↓ $2,917
Dependent students $21,500
↓ $2,750
Independent students $23,791
↓ $459
Female students $21,500
↓ $2,750
Male students $22,323
↓ $1,927
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $13,500, less than completers ($24,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
69% of students who start here finish within six years, and 97% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
69%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
97%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $92,538 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$92,538
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$68,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$81,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$72,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$71,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$75,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,300, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 17,326 students, a sprawling student community.
Total Enrolled
17,326
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
19%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 39.9%6,906
Asian 22.3%3,867
International 13.6%2,348
Hispanic 10.4%1,805
Other 6.9%1,192
Black 5.0%861
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Northeastern University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Northeastern University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
157 distinct programs across
25 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.7B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$135,252
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,744 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
525
30%
$185,422
Associate Professors
503
29%
$130,001
Assistant Professors
435
25%
$115,871
Instructors
123
7%
$98,802
Lecturers
20
1%
$110,183
No Rank
138
8%
$66,553
Pros & Cons of Northeastern University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Northeastern University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Northeastern University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions about Northeastern University
The questions families ask most about Northeastern University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Northeastern University hard to get into?
Yes. Northeastern University is among the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 5.2%. Successful applicants typically have top-decile test scores and strong academic, extracurricular, and recommendation profiles.
What is the acceptance rate at Northeastern University?
5.2% of applicants are admitted. Roughly one applicant in ten gets in, so apply only alongside options you are more likely to win. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Northeastern University?
Aim for 1540 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1440 and 1540 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Northeastern University?
Aim for 35 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 33 and 35 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Northeastern University cost?
Budget around $30,915 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northeastern University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $92,538 a year against a net price of $30,915, about 3.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Northeastern University known for?
Mostly Business, Information Systems, Computer Engineering. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Northeastern University graduates earn?
About $92,538 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Northeastern University accredited?
Yes. Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Northeastern University?
17,326 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Northeastern University?
69% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Northeastern University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Northeastern University located?
Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts.
What programs does Northeastern University offer?
157 different programs, most commonly Business, Information Systems, Computer Engineering. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Northeastern University?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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