How To Get Into Northeastern: Admissions Data And Strategies

Anyone who went to college thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago would likely be shocked if you told them that Northeastern University, once viewed as more of a commuter school than a nationally recognized institution, has an acceptance rate in the single digits (the Northeastern ED acceptance rate is much higher). This Boston-based private university was founded back in 1898 and, almost 130 year later, U.S. News ranked Northeastern as the 54th best school in the country. What has happened since that time is nothing short of amazing. In 2000, the average incoming SAT was 1157; today it is 1475. The school now rests comfortably among the top 60 universities in the country and receives in excess of 98,000 applications every year. Accordingly, this newfound popularity is a major contributor to Northeastern’s ever-shrinking acceptance rate.

Given that the process of gaining acceptance into Northeastern has become increasingly challenging, we will touch on the following topics:

• Northeastern acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free College Admissions Calculator)
• Northeastern ED acceptance rate – Class of 2028
• GPA, SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted Northeastern applicants
• Admissions trends from the Class of 2028
• The demographics of current Northeastern undergraduates
• Northeastern’s yield rate
• How Northeastern’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
• Tips for applying to Northeastern
• How to assess whether applying to Northeastern is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)
• Whether Northeastern is transfer-friendly

Northeastern University College Admissions Calculator

Want to calculate your chance of getting into Northeastern?

College Transitions is pleased to offer the most accurate admissions calculator you’ll find anywhere online — the only such tool that is informed by decades of combined experience personally guiding thousands of students through the college admissions process. Please click below to enjoy all the benefits.

College Transitions Admissions CalculatorOur college chance calculator is the most personalized tool on the market. Use it to build a balanced and intelligent college list. To get started, simply input your stats to explore your chances at 170+ colleges!

Northeastern University Acceptance Rate – Class of 2028

Northeastern received 98,425 applications for its 2024-25 freshman class. Of those, 5,132 were admitted for an overall acceptance rate of 5.2%.

However, to get the full picture, it’s important to look at both the early decision acceptance rate (see more below) vs. the regular decision acceptance rate. For the Class of 2028, the regular decision acceptance rate was just 3.8%.

Although Northeastern has not released official Class of 2029 numbers, it is estimated that they received over 100k applications.

For comparison, the acceptance rate even 5 years ago was drastically higher:

Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2026	96,632	5,459	5.6%
Class of 2026	91,000	6,391	7%
Class of 2025	75,244	13,829	18%
Class of 2024	64,459	13,199	20%

Northeastern ED Acceptance Rate

In building the Class of 2028, Northeastern accepted 43% of ED applicants. This is higher than the 39% acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 and the 33% clip for the Class of 2026.

NU offers both ED I and ED II, with November 1 and January 1 deadlines.

What GPA do you need to get into Northeastern?

Although Northeastern does not report average GPA, they do report GPA percentiles. Accordingly, 87% of enrolled 2023 freshmen had a GPA of 4.0 or above, 8% had a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99, and 4% had a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74.

Approximately 2% of enrolled students had a GPA under 3.5.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Northeastern?

Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students, 69% were in the top 10% of their graduating class, 94% were in the top quarter, and 99.8% were in the top half.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Northeastern?

The mid-50% SAT range for enrolled Class of 2028 freshmen was 1450-1520. Moreover, 94% of students had an SAT score of between 1400 and 1600.

ACTs were similarly high—the mid-50% percentile was 33-35, and 99% had a score between 30 and 36.

Admissions Trends & Notes – Class of 2028

• The number of applicants has increased by nearly 50% over the last four years.
• ED applications increased by 25% in the 2023-24 admissions cycle, and 50% since 2020.
• For the Class of 2028, 43% identified as non-white.
• Last year, Northeastern received the most applications from Massachusetts and California (more on that below).
• Approximately 95% of incoming freshmen head to Boston while 2.5% each head to London or Oakland, CA.

Why does Northeastern receive so many applications now?!

Wondering why there is an astronomical jump in applications? One major factor is Northeastern’s focus on pre-professional education as well as its renowned co-op program, which gives students the ability to complete 2-3 full-time, paid co-op experiences before they graduate. Although the program has been around for over a century (!), excellent marketing, student preference, and a stellar post-graduate track record (93% are employed or enrolled in grad school within 9 months of graduating) have helped skyrocket the school’s popularity.

Who Gets Into Northeastern?

Let’s look at the demographics of Northeastern undergraduates:

Geographically, 48 U.S. states are presently represented across the NU undergraduate population. As with all selective colleges, those from lower-populated, more remote areas of the country (e.g. Wyoming, South Dakota, and Alaska) enjoy a boost to their acceptance rates to Northeastern.

Historically, the states with the strongest undergraduate representation are:

1. Massachusetts
2. California
3. New York
4. New Jersey
5. Connecticut
6. Pennsylvania
7. Florida

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of students was as follows:

• Asian: 22%
• Hispanic: 10%
• Black or African American: 4.7%
• White: 41%
• International: 12.8%
• Two or more races: 7%

The breakdown by gender is as follows:

• Male: 43%
• Female: 56%

Let’s now take a college-by-college look at where/what current full-time undergraduates are studying in 2024 (the most recent data available):

• College of Arts, Media, and Design: 7%
• Bouvé College of Health Sciences: 11.5%
• D’Amore-McKim School of Business: 23%
• College of Engineering: 15%
• Khoury College of Computer Sciences: 15%
• College of Science: 17%
• College of Social Sciences and Humanities: 9%
• University Programs: 2%

Northeastern University’s Yield Rate

Northeastern’s yield rate — the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted — was 53% last year, about the same as the previous year (50%).

Although Northeastern is now on par with other elite private institutions such as Vanderbilt, Rice, and Carnegie Mellon, the current yield rate may be skewed slightly based on the high percentage of the class admitted via Early Decision. Accordingly, NU is still eager to know if you are their first choice, and there is a great admissions advantage to signaling such a leaning.

How Northeastern Rates Applicants

There are four factors that Northeastern ranks as being “very important” to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, standardized test scores, and recommendations. Rating as “important” are: extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, and volunteer/paid work. “Considered” factors are: first-generation status, race/ethnicity, class rank, demonstrated interest, geographical residence, and, (surprisingly) the application essays.

In the words of Northeastern admissions officers themselves: “Candidates who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and interests to our community are identified by the Admissions Committee following a holistic application evaluation.” With a goal of building a diverse and talented freshman class, “the Admissions Committee seeks to enroll students who have been academically successful and who have been actively involved in their school and community.” Keep this in mind when thinking about Northeastern’s acceptance rate.

Tips for Applying to Northeastern

If you plan on joining the 96,000+ Husky hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

• There are no interviews offered through the university. As such, you’ll need to use the essay and recommendations to forge a personal connection with an admissions officer.
• Northeastern does consider “demonstrated interest” so it is important that you make contact with the admissions office, connect through social media, and visit campus or meet Northeastern reps at a college fair near you.

Does Northeastern have supplemental essays?

Historically, Northeastern has never required any supplemental essays. Therefore, the primary Common App essay takes on a slightly greater level of importance when applying to the university.

CT Advice: With only one essay to complete for Northeastern, applicants need to channel their efforts into the Common App essay of their choice. For more on the prompts themselves and how to begin brainstorming, visit our previous posts.

Should I apply to Northeastern?

With Northeastern growing more competitive each year, you will likely need to possess stellar SAT scores and near-perfect grades, and earn a place in the top 10% of your high school class. Furthermore, applying ED will provide a sizable edge if you find yourself “on the cusp” from an admissions standpoint.

Do I have a better chance of acceptance as a transfer student?

Your odds of acceptance as a transfer student are not as high as applying ED, but about five times better than applying regular decision. For entry in fall 2024, only 675 students were accepted out of 3,420 applicants, meaning that the transfer acceptance rate is 20%. Here is a sampling of past transfer acceptance rates:

Year	Acceptance Rate
2023-24	24%
2022-23	30%
2021-22	20%
2020-21	48%

Read more about Northeastern Transfer Rates and Requirements here.

Northeastern Acceptance Rate and ED Acceptance Rate – Final Thoughts

All college-bound teens need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. You’ll definitely want to do this in conjunction with an admissions professional (including your own high school counselor).

Ready to get started on your applications? You might consider checking out the following:

• • Should You Start College Applications in the Summer?
  • What is Demonstrated Interest?
  • Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
  • College Fair Advice for High School Students
  • How to Complete the Common App Activities List