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AlmaSpire

Boston, MA · Private · 17,326 undergraduates · urban

Northeastern University

Extremely selective

Northeastern organizes undergraduate education around movement: coursework, full-time co-op, and in some entry pathways more than one campus. The question is not whether co-op is available, but whether the student wants a degree shaped by repeated transitions between class and work.

Edward Orde / CC BY-SA 4.0

Institutional profile

Highly regarded Strong in career outcomes, and strong in academic standing.
Academic Strong Affordability Solid Career Strong Mobility Steady Experience Emerging
Academic standing Strong
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Strong
Mobility Steady
Student experience Emerging
Admission
5.7% admitted

96,631 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
91.1%

$92,538 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Northeastern apart

Co-op as degree structure

Co-op alternates academic study with full-time work related to a student’s field. Students usually complete three academic semesters before becoming eligible.

Multiple undergraduate entry pathways

Boston fall entrants generally live in university housing for their first two years, while global entry programs begin with their own cohort structures.

Boston and global campus movement

Boston is one co-op location inside a wider undergraduate network that includes Oakland, London, and New York pathways.

The Northeastern rhythm

Move repeatedly between class and work

Co-op and entry pathways make the degree a sequence of campus, employer, and sometimes international transitions.

Foundation

Complete academic semesters

Build enough preparation for useful field work.

Co-op

Work full time in the field

Use an employer setting as part of the education.

Return

Bring work back to class

Later coursework becomes more specific after practical exposure.

Can I get in?

5.7% admitted

Applicants should understand the implications of Boston, Oakland, N.U.in, London Scholars, New York City Scholars, and other possible entry pathways.

Recent applicant pool

96,631

About 6 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 5.7%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1460–1550
14001600
ACT middle 50%33–35
3136

Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 8% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA86.8%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northeastern, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Northeastern weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Co-op alternates academic study with full-time work related to a student’s field. Students usually complete three academic semesters before becoming eligible.

02

Make the institutional fit specific

Applicants should understand the implications of Boston, Oakland, N.U.in, London Scholars, New York City Scholars, and other possible entry pathways.

03

Use the application route carefully

The application allows preference signals across entry programs. An admission result may assign a global or alternate-campus starting route.

04

Give commitments a clear through-line

Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

The application allows preference signals across entry programs. An admission result may assign a global or alternate-campus starting route.

Early DecisionNov 1
Early Decision IIJan 1
Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJan 1
Fee and waiver$75 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$96,216
Average annual cost after aid$31,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Northeastern University publishes two merit awards, the largest reaching full tuition or more. one require a separate scholarship application. one renew past the first year.

Reviewed with admission Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

Separate scholarship application An award reaching full tuition or more

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive

In the season card

These two awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • How to be considered 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Northeastern

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read the outcomes panel alongside boston is one co-op location inside a wider undergraduate network that includes oakland, london, and new york pathways. Completion, borrowing, and field mix matter more than one university-wide earnings figure.

Complete within 8 years91.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one97.2%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$92,538

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Business/Commerce, General

Recent graduates958
Median earnings$113,620

Admits separately

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Recent graduates558
Median earnings$163,708

Admits separately

Economics

Recent graduates169
Median earnings$101,423

What is campus life like?

Northeastern beyond the classroom

Boston is one co-op location inside a wider undergraduate network that includes Oakland, London, and New York pathways.

Academics

Co-op as degree structure

Co-op alternates academic study with full-time work related to a student’s field. Students usually complete three academic semesters before becoming eligible.

Housing

The residential structure matters

Boston fall entrants generally live in university housing for their first two years, while global entry programs begin with their own cohort structures.

Dining

Dining follows the residential map

Campus dining is part of the daily social pattern; compare the meal-plan structure and nearby options against the routine you expect.

Campus rhythm

Multiple undergraduate entry pathways

Boston is one co-op location inside a wider undergraduate network that includes Oakland, London, and New York pathways.

Clubs & interests

Use the institution beyond class

Student organizations, faculty programs, research, service, and campus events are most useful when they reinforce a clear academic or personal direction.

Social life

Boston and global campus movement

The strongest social fit comes from understanding how housing, traditions, organizations, and the surrounding setting shape an ordinary week.

17,326 undergraduatesNew Englandurban settingCampus housing available