R1 ResearchPrivate nonprofit

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·northeastern.edu
6-yr Graduation
91%
-1.5pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
32,553
peer median 22,846
Avg net price
$32,116
+$2.6k vs R1 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
98,425
98,425 candidates competed
Admitted
5,133
5.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,759
53.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
91%-1.5pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
0%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
91%
Full-time retention
97%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
90%
Non-Pell
92%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 275 Title IV programs, 75 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 199 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
275
Passing
75
27.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.4% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.4%
-0.2pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

275programs
  • Passing75 · 27.3%
  • No Data199 · 72.4%
  • Failing1 · 0.4%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
73
No data
199

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

76
Ecology Evolution Systematics and Population Biology
Master's Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
-0.9%
$53,164 vs $53,672
Nutrition Sciences
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+16.5%
$62,427 vs $53,607
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+18.0%
$70,914 vs $60,112
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+35.1%
$81,227 vs $60,112
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+40.0%
$84,174 vs $60,112
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+40.4%
$65,134 vs $46,391
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+40.9%
$84,704 vs $60,112
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+43.0%
$73,724 vs $51,545

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Ecology Evolution Systematics and Population Biology
Master's Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
-0.9%
$508

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

59
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Graduate Certificate · Psychology
96%
$71,184 debt · $74,263 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
72%
$84,223 debt · $116,706 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
58%
$41,000 debt · $70,914 earn
Nutrition Sciences
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
56%
$34,646 debt · $62,427 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
53%
$41,000 debt · $76,859 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
51%
$33,398 debt · $65,134 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
47%
$34,981 debt · $73,724 earn
Public Administration
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
47%
$41,000 debt · $87,852 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1940Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 16

Action history · 18

  1. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist
  2. Sep 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  3. Sep 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. May 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs · Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels
  5. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$5,900
$30–48k$6,383
$48–75k$10,482
$75–110k$20,109
$110k+$51,753

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$32,116
+$2,560vs R1 Research median $29,556
Federal loans
28.3%
In-state tuition
$63,141
Out-of-state
$63,141

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,919 students received $28.0M in Pell grants, alongside $151.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,919
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$28.0M
$27,964,544 total
Direct Loans
$151.6M
13,022 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.3M
3,141 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$24.3M
5,214 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$47.1M
2,697 loan awards
Parent PLUS$32.3M
894 loan awards
Grad PLUS$34.6M
1,076 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 4,411 borrowers who entered repayment, 26 (0.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,411
Defaulted
26
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.0%
2017
2.2%
2018
1.5%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Northeastern

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs167
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

10,721 total completions
01Engineering
3,59433.5%
02Computer Sciences
2,22820.8%
03Business
1,59614.9%
04Biological Sciences
9158.5%
05Health Professions
8768.2%
06Social Sciences
5224.9%
07Mathematics
3032.8%
08Psychology
2492.3%
09Legal Professions
2482.3%
10Communication
1901.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
32,553
12-mo unduplicated
41,654
Undergraduate
23,278
Graduate
18,376

Gender split

Men
48%19,974
Women
52%21,680

Race / ethnicity composition

White
40.4%
Asian
20.9%
Non-resident
14.7%
Hispanic
11.1%
Two or more
6.4%
Black
5.3%
Unknown
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
534
260 M · 274 W
Women athletes
51.3%
Athletic aid
$16.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$39.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$7.3M
$8.8M
Recruiting expense
$231K
$258K
Head-coach salaries
$251K
$142K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
136 M · 118 W
$3.1M
Rowing
48 M · 63 W
$4.9M
Soccer
33 M · 31 W
$3.0M
Ice Hockey
29 M · 29 W
$6.8M
Baseball
44 M ·
$2.2M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
· 35 W
$1.2M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.33
40 offenses · 30,013 students

3-year trend

2.752 yrs ago2.381 yr ago1.33Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
170
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
98
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
13
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
14

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
9
Rape
8
Motor vehicle theft
7
Fondling
6
Aggravated assault
6
Robbery
3
Arson
1

By location

40total
  • On campus28
  • Non-campus1
  • Public property11

Includes 15 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
10
Dating violence
16
Stalking
29 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Sexual orientation2
  • Religion1
  • Ethnicity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons32
Drugs82
Liquor1388

Residence-hall fires

  • Davenport A1 fire
    Hazardous product2 injured · 0 deathsDamage $10,000-$24,999
  • Davenport B1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • 319 Huntington Avenue1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $100-$999
  • Willis Hall1 fire
    Open flamesDamage $100-$999
  • Douglas Park1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • 60 Belvidere Street1 fire
    A student used a cigarette lighter to set fire to a pile of trash on the floor inside their residence.Damage $1,000-$9,999

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,671

Northeastern vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Northeastern selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNortheastern University
91%32,553$32,116R1 Research
Boston University
89%11.1%37,737$26,996R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$16,816R1 Research
Boston College
91%16.4%15,432$39,866R1 Research
Tufts University
94%11.5%13,599$35,435R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$19,813R1 Research
Peer group median93%11.1%22,846$29,556

Frequently asked questions about Northeastern University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Northeastern.

What is the graduation rate at Northeastern University?

Northeastern University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 91% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Northeastern University?

Northeastern University reports a total enrollment of 32,553 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Northeastern University?

The average net price at Northeastern University is $32,116 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Northeastern University?

Northeastern University's yield rate is 53.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Northeastern University located?

Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5005.

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