Northeastern acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Northeastern University · Private nonprofit · Boston, MA · 15,891 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Northeastern admitted 5.6% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 32.3% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $69,289 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 32.3% | 47,364 | 15,301 |
| 2014 | 32.2% | 49,819 | 16,052 |
| 2015 | 28.5% | 50,523 | 14,388 |
| 2016 | 28.9% | 51,063 | 14,747 |
| 2017 | 27.4% | 54,209 | 14,876 |
| 2018 | 19.3% | 62,272 | 12,042 |
| 2019 | 18.1% | 62,263 | 11,240 |
| 2020 | 20.5% | 64,459 | 13,199 |
| 2021 | 18.4% | 75,244 | 13,829 |
| 2022 | 6.8% | 91,000 | 6,191 |
| 2023 | 5.6% | 96,631 | 5,459 |
Applications went from 47,364 in fall 2013 to 96,631 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | Not reported |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $2,038 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $11,758 |
| Over $110,000 | $49,705 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $69,289 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $88,412 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $29,060 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 27% submitted the SAT, 8% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
What the numbers say
Northeastern admitted 5,459 of the 96,631 applicants for fall 2023, so its admit rate that year was 5.6%.1 In fall 2013 the rate was 32.3%, so it has fallen by 26.7 percentage points over the period.1 Most of that movement came in a few steps, and the rate declined in 8 of the 10 yearly changes.1 Applications grew 104% across the span, while the count of admitted students went down 64%, from 15,301 to 5,459.1
The university is test-optional. Among fall 2023 entrants who submitted scores, the middle 50% on SAT math ran from 750 to 790 and on ACT composite from 33 to 35.1
Tuition and fees are $69,289 for 2025-26, and the same price applies to every student regardless of residence.2 That is above the $53,710 median for the 52 private colleges in Massachusetts.2 Average net price in 2024-25 depends heavily on income: $2,038 for families earning $48,001 to $75,000, $11,758 for $75,001 to $110,000, and $49,705 for families earning over $110,000.2
Of the students who started in 2019, 91% finished within 6 years, and 97% of the fall 2023 entering class returned the following fall.2 Graduates were earning a median of $99,371 10 years after entry, and those who borrowed federally left with a median debt of $20,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 96,631 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 5,459 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 2,744 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 15,891 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 710 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 750 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 790 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 27% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 8% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $69,289 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $88,412 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $29,060 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $2,038 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $11,758 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $49,705 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 91% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 97% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 16% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $99,371 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $20,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Massachusetts (N = 52) | $53,710 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Northeastern, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page