Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university renowned for its experimental learning model, high-impact research, partnerships, and worldwide reach. The university emphasizes innovative ways of teaching and research that give a premium experience to students.
According to unofficial sources, Northeastern University ranked #54 among National Universities, #104 in Best Value Schools, and #35 for providing the Best Undergraduate Engineering Program. Also, the university is accredited by the NECHE (New England Commission of Higher Education), a member of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education, and classified among R1 Doctoral Universities- Very high research activity. The university has also been ranked #384 in QS World University Rankings. Also check Northeastern University Ranking.
The university belongs to one of the best study-abroad universities and compels students to apply to Northeastern University admission every year for its experiential learning opportunities, including cooperative education, student research, service learning, and global experience. The university provides 371 UG majors, 141 single majors, 230 combined majors, 37 doctoral programs, and 271 professional doctorate master's and certificate programs.
Northeastern University Acceptance Rate 2025
For the class of 2029, the university received a groundbreaking number of applications, exceeding 105,000. The number of early applicants also saw a huge surge due to the gradual decline in the regular acceptance rate of the university.
Northeastern University received almost 99,000 applications from prospective students for the admission cycle of 2024-25, of which just 5,000 students were selected. This means that the Northeastern University acceptance rate stands at just 5.2%, making the admission criteria of the university extremely selective.
Whereas the number of students who accepted the university’s offer for admission to enroll at the Northeastern University campus was over 2,700, suggesting that the Northeastern Uni yield rate is 53.8%. The statistics for the current and the previous year are given below for comparison.
Particulars
|
2023-2024
|
2024-2025
|
---|
Student Applications
|
96,631
|
98,425
|
Students Admitted
|
5,459
|
5,133
|
Acceptance Rate
|
5.65%
|
5.22%
|
Students Enrolled
|
2,744
|
2,759
|
Yield Rate
|
50.3%
|
53.8%
|
The university campus currently houses a total of 39,700 students as of Fall 2024, of which almost 22,700 account for undergraduates, while 17,000 account for graduate students. The enrollment trends for Northeastern University are given below:
Year |
Undegraduates |
Graduates |
Total |
---|
2024-25 |
22,695 |
17,079 |
39,774 |
2023-24 |
21,330 |
17,430 |
38,760 |
2022-23 |
20,980 |
15,826 |
36,806 |
2021-22 |
20,337 |
13,339 |
33,676 |
2020-21 |
19,004 |
8,598 |
27,602 |
Northeastern University MBA acceptance rate stands at 26.2% for the class of 2025. As per the info obtained from an unofficial, credible source, the following are some of the college-wise acceptance rates for Northeastern University:
Northeastern School |
Acceptance Rate |
Fall 2024 Enrollment |
---|
School of Law |
36.2% |
941 |
D'Amore-McKim School of Business |
37.4% |
1,402 |
College of Engineering |
44.4% (Master's & Doctoral) |
6,282 |
Also check Northeastern University Cost
Northeastern University Acceptance Rate for International Students
Northeastern University saw the largest number of applications for the class of 2029 from China, India, Canada, South Korea, and Brazil. The number of applications received by Northeastern University from international aspirants as of Fall 2024 crossed 17,600, out of which only 670 students received an admission offer from the university. A total of 270 UG students were enrolled at the university. This data tells us that the competition for securing a seat at Northeastern University is especially difficult for international students, with the acceptance rate of Northeastern University being a mere 3.1% for international students.
Particulars
|
Headcount
|
---|
International Student Applications
|
17,616
|
International Students Admitted
|
671
|
International Students Enrolled
|
270
|
Acceptance Rate
|
3.81%
|
The international student body enrolled at Northeastern represents 141 countries and has a total enrollment of around 18,500 as of Fall 2024. The undergraduate enrollment for international students stood at 3,223, whereas the graduate international enrollment stood at 15,285, as per official sources. The number of Indian students across the Global Campus Network is less than 10,000. A more in-depth breakdown of the student demographics of NU, including Northeastern University international students, is given below:
Ethnic/Racial Group
|
Headcount
|
---|
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic
|
9
|
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic
|
16
|
Race and/or ethnicity unknown
|
402
|
Black or African American, non-Hispanic
|
1,080
|
Two or more races, non-Hispanic
|
1,546
|
Hispanic/Latino
|
2,368
|
Nonresidents
|
2,971
|
Asian, non-Hispanic
|
5,076
|
White, non-Hispanic
|
9,224
|
Total
|
22,695
|
The enrollment trends for international UG students at Northeastern University over the course of the last five years can be checked out from the table given below:
Year |
International UG Students |
---|
2024 |
2,971 |
2023 |
3,003 |
2022 |
2,966 |
2021 |
3,004 |
2020 |
3,023 |
Also check Northeastern University Placements
Northeastern University Acceptance Rate Trends
The number of applications received by Northeastern University has increased significantly in the last five years, by 40,633 to be exact, having gone up from 64,459 in Fall 2020 to 105,092 by Fall 2025. The number of admissions, on the other hand, has declined sharply, from 13,200 in Fall 2020 to 5,100 in Fall 2024. As a result, the Northeastern University Boston acceptance rate has fallen from a high of 20.4% to just 5.2%.
A decline of around 15% in the Northeastern acceptance rate suggests increased selectivity of the criteria for Northeastern University admissions. The acceptance rate trends and figures over the years are below for the reference of students.
Particulars
|
2024
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
---|
Applicants
|
98,425
|
96,631
|
91,000
|
75,244
|
64,459
|
Admits
|
5,113
|
5,459
|
6,179
|
13,829
|
13,199
|
Admit rate
|
5.2%
|
5.6%
|
6.7%
|
18.3%
|
20.43%
|
Enrolled
|
2,759
|
2,744
|
2,519
|
4,504
|
3,128
|
Northeastern University Early Decision vs Regular Decision
Northeastern offers students to opportunity through Regular as well as Early Decision. Usually, the early acceptance rate of any university tends to be generally higher than the regular acceptance rate. With the plummeting Northeastern University acceptance rate, reports confirmed that the number of applicants for Early Decision has increased by 660% since 2015.
For the class of 2029, Northeastern University received approximately 3,600 applications under the Early Decision plan and accepted 1,400 of these, making the estimated Northeastern early acceptance rate around 39% for 2025-26. Given below is a comparison of the early acceptance rates of the university in the last three years.
Northeastern University ED Acceptance Rate |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
---|
39% |
38.5% |
Approx. 39% |
Northeastern University Requirements for International Students
International students must fulfill the basic NU university requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The basic entry requirements for UG and PG programs are given below:
Undergraduate Requirements:
- Academic Transcripts for each year
- Evidence of English language proficiency
- ACT/SAT score
- Submit a secondary school report
- Minimum 2.0 GPA required
- Submission of standardized test scores
- English language requirements
Graduate Requirements:
Students are advised to refer to the official website for any Northeastern University course-specific requirements.
Northeastern University Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores
Northeastern University does not provide test options for standardized test scores, which means there is a compulsion to submit these scores. Students must submit SAT and ACT scores during admissions to enhance their selection probability. The minimum required scores for ACT and SAT at NU are given below:
Particulars
|
Minimum score required
|
---|
SAT
|
Between 1490 and 1540
|
ACT
|
Between 33 and 35
|
GPA
|
3 on a scale of 4
|
Tips to get selected at Northeastern University
The Northeastern University acceptance rate is 5.2%. This shows tough selection criteria during the NU admission. However, international students who adhere to the following tips still have higher chances of selection:
- Maintain a solid GPA throughout high school.
- Thoroughly prepare for exams such as the SAT or ACT before submitting the final scores.
- Obtain excellent letters of recommendation from teachers who know the student well and can attest to the academic talents and personality.
- The university admission staff values an applicant's high school class rank, where available, as well as a letter of recommendation. Students must obtain high ranks and positive recommendations.
- Strong recommendations from instructors or counselors might provide a third-party assessment of students’ academic achievements and personal characteristics.
- Northeastern expects its applicants to have completed a challenging high school program. This includes particular subject requirements to guarantee they're ready for college-level coursework.
Northeastern University Acceptance Rate vs Columbia University Acceptance Rate
The Columbia University acceptance rate stands around 4.2%, which makes it an extremely competitive university to get into, as compared to Northeastern University, whose acceptance rate stands at 5.2%. Columbia University is a tougher university to get into.
Columbia University admissions are highly competitive, and hence, applicants must submit great academic marks as well as thrive in co-curricular activities to increase their chances. Other excellent methods to get into either of the two universities include submitting strong English language proficiency scores and maintaining solid marks throughout your academic career. Applicants must also have a decent personality and be kind to others, as both universities admit students based on a holistic approach.
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