Northeastern University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Boston, Massachusetts · Private nonprofit · Most selective · CDS 2024-2025
Northeastern University is a private nonprofit university in Boston, Massachusetts that admits about 6% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $32,116 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business/Commerce, General, Computer and Information Sciences, General and Mechanical Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 91% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Northeastern University is a private institution located in Boston, Massachusetts and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Northeastern University admits fewer than 10% of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 6%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1505 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $32,116 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Northeastern University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Northeastern University?
Successful applicants to Northeastern University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Northeastern University weight in admissions?
Northeastern University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Northeastern University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 750–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 730. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1450 |
| 50th percentile | 1490 |
| 75th percentile | 1520 |
| % submitting SAT | % |
| 25th percentile | 33 |
| 50th percentile | 34 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | % |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 68.8% |
| Top 25% of class | 94% |
| Top 50% of class | 99.8% |
| % submitting class rank | 21.9% |
How much does Northeastern University actually cost?
Published tuition is $63,141 for in-state students and $63,141 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,790 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $32,116 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 12% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $67,990 |
| Room and board | $22,048 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $32,116 |
| Application fee | — |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Northeastern University
| Notification date | 1-Apr |
| Reply deadline | 1-May |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 1-Nov |
| ED acceptance rate | 43% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 1-Nov |
Will my child graduate from Northeastern University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Northeastern University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Northeastern University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business/Commerce, General, Computer and Information Sciences, General and Mechanical Engineering. Across all programs, Northeastern University confers roughly 2,474 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business/Commerce, General program report a median income of about $110,708 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 957 | $110,708 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 483 | $149,127 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 275 | $104,723 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 163 | $76,223 |
| Engineering, Other | 162 | — |
| Economics | 160 | $98,280 |
| Political Science and Government | 139 | $77,836 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 135 | $77,774 |
Is Northeastern University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Northeastern University disclosed 41 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 13 violent offenses and 14 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Northeastern University?
About 57% of undergraduates at Northeastern University live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 2% of men join a fraternity and 6% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Massachusetts parents ask about
- Harvard University3% acceptance
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology5% acceptance
- Boston University11% acceptance
- Boston College16% acceptance
- Tufts University10% acceptance
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst85% acceptance
- University of Massachusetts-Boston58% acceptance
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute59% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Northeastern University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Northeastern University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Northeastern University
What GPA do I need for Northeastern University?
Successful applicants to Northeastern University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Northeastern University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 750–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 730. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35.
How much does Northeastern University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Northeastern University after grants and scholarships is $32,116 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Northeastern University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Northeastern University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Northeastern University?
Northeastern University accepts about 6% of applicants out of roughly 98,425 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is Northeastern University test-optional?
Yes. Northeastern University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Northeastern University?
About 91% of students at Northeastern University graduate within six years. 97% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Northeastern University?
Northeastern University's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 43%, compared with its overall rate of 6%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does Northeastern University look for in applicants?
Northeastern University rates course rigor, GPA, test scores and recommendations as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Northeastern University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Northeastern University is a private nonprofit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts.
What are the most popular majors at Northeastern University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Northeastern University by annual graduates are Business/Commerce, General, Computer and Information Sciences, General and Mechanical Engineering. The school awards about 2,474 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Northeastern University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Northeastern University reported 41 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Northeastern University?
At Northeastern University, 57% of undergraduates live on campus, 2% of men are in fraternities, 6% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Northeastern University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.