More selective than 97% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $84,641. College Scorecard.
Higher than 85% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 87% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Northeastern University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 96,631 applicants, Northeastern University admitted 5,459 and 2,744 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1440–1540 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Northeastern University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
Northeastern University majors, earnings & careers
Northeastern University offers 76 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 15
- Science & Math · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Arts & Design · 6
- Business & Finance · 6
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
Highest-earning majors at Northeastern University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $163,708 | $23,001 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $142,985 | $31,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $135,416 | $25,005 |
| International Business | $125,162 | $25,729 |
| Mathematics | $125,084 | $21,750 |
| Electrical Engineering | $118,150 | $24,835 |
| Business | $113,620 | $24,000 |
| Engineering, Other | $112,019 | $22,512 |
Quick list of all 76 majors
- American Sign Language—
- Anthropology—
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$74,540
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$90,612
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology$78,327
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business$113,620
- Business Administration—
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemical Engineering$107,767
- Chemistry$88,364
- Civil Engineering$100,613
- Communications$80,191
- Computer and Information Sciences$163,708
- Computer Engineering$135,416
- Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Criminal Justice$77,477
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$101,423
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical Engineering$118,150
- Engineering, Other$112,019
- English$67,877
- Environmental Science / Conservation$70,272
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$83,023
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$87,336
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Administration$80,233
- History—
- Human Services$61,152
- Industrial Engineering$111,430
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- International Business$125,162
- International Relations$74,816
- Journalism$74,709
- Landscape Architecture—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics$125,084
- Mechanical Engineering$103,384
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians—
- Music$60,974
- Neuroscience$74,617
- Nursing$91,003
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$142,985
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$73,539
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Psychology (Research)$66,130
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other—
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$81,320
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$69,585
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,008. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Suffolk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Suffolk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Northeastern University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 5% | $30,915 | 91% | $92,538 | This school |
| Boston University | 11% | $24,402 | 89% | $83,238 | |
| Harvard University | 4% | $19,066 | 98% | $101,817 | |
| Boston College | 16% | $41,704 | 91% | $103,937 | |
| Tufts University | 11% | $39,998 | 94% | $83,214 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northeastern University would cost you $6,513 more per year than Boston University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Northeastern University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,940).
- Boston University gives aided families $8,157 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Northeastern University | BU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $66,162 | $68,102 | −$1,940 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $18,790 | $18,110 | +$680 |
| Personal & travel | $1,800 | $2,085 | −$285 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,111 | −$3,012 | −$99 |
| Sticker price | $84,641 | $86,285 | −$1,644 |
| Average grants | −$53,726 | −$61,883 | +$8,157 |
| You pay | $30,915 | $24,402 | +$6,513 |
“+” means Northeastern University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Northeastern University
What is the Northeastern University acceptance rate?
Northeastern University accepts 5% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,459 of 96,631 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1440–1540 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
How much does Northeastern University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $84,641 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $30,915 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $2,264 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,696.
How much do Northeastern University graduates earn?
Former Northeastern University students earn a median $92,538 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Northeastern University graduation rate?
91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northeastern University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northeastern-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).