Northeastern University (also known as NEU) is a private research institute based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1898, the university comprises 9 colleges and is home to 22,000+ students (including 12,000 international students) across 318 undergraduate and 259 graduate programs. The admissions at Northeastern University take place in Fall and Winter sessions and are decently selective, with an acceptance rate of 18%. There are 2100 Indian students studying at Northeastern University. The tuition fee at Northeastern University is $56,500 (~46 Lakhs INR), with other expenses such as books and lodging costing an extra $20,610 (~17 Lakh INR).

Northeastern University highlights

Want to have a student perspective on Northeastern University? Collegedunia reached out to Anuj Ashok, MS Computer Science at Northeastern University. Mentioned below are the major points of interest we gathered by interviewing him:

Admission: Anuj got admitted to MS in Computer Science in Northeastern University with a GRE score of 312. What helped him in admission was his achievements. He was the winner of Hackathon analytics during his job. He also received 1st prize in the graduation project along with a student of the year in graduation.

  • The whole profile of the student is given weightage. Just GRE won't help in securing admission, students with high GRE scores even get rejected.

Programs: The Cooperative Education (or Co-Op) program at Northeastern University allows the students to truly get a sense of the professional world and develop the skills needed to top programs at Northeastern University be successful in today’s global business environment.

Accommodation: According to Anuj, Cityview is one of the most famous off-campus accommodations for international students. Out of 300 total rooms at Cityview, 250 are occupied by Indian students. The cost of the off-campus room is around USD 1,280 per month i.e. 1,04 lakhs for an Indian Student.

  • Applying for an internship process is simple. Start applying from the fall semester as soon as you enter. The portal of New Works portal lists positions only for university students.

Difference between India and USA Teaching Methods: One of the major differences between USA and Indian teaching systems is that India believes in Handwritten projects and assignments. However, in USA most of the projects are done through software and they are automatically graded.

To learn more in detail about Northeastern University, watch the full interview with Anuj Ashok

Quick Highlights

Likes

  • Co-op program which allows students to gain professional experience even before graduation
  • A lot of scope and resources available for research, aided by academic assistance and professional training
  • Diverse and international peers. International students make up more than 50% of the total student population, with representation from 135 countries

Dislikes

  • Cost of education is a bit on the expensive side, with the tuition fee higher than the national average
  • Poor communication and organization from the authorities and administration
  • Disparity in focusing on the majors, with STEM occupying more attention and liberal arts being (relatively) neglected
  • Lack of and poor housing facilities and amenities

Also Read: Northeastern University Students Review

Northeastern University Rankings

Northeastern University is ranked at #388 in the QS World University Rankings, 2023. Some of the top rankings of Northeastern University are as follows:

Ranking Agency Ranking 2023
QS World University Rankings #388
Best Global Universities US News #194
World University Rankings THE #168
Best Global Universities in Canada US News #44

Northeastern University Ranking Comparison

Programs Northeastern University University at Buffalo SUNY
Communication and Media Studies #151-200 #151-200
Computer Science and Information Systems #151-200 #301-350
Electrical and Electronic Engineering #151-200 #301-350
Business and Management Studies #151-200 #451-500
Psychology #201-250 #301-320
Engineering and Technology #=247 #301-320

Northeastern University Campus

Since its establishment in 1898, Northeastern University has had its flagship campus in Boston. The university is spread across 9 campuses in Boston, Charlotte, London, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Toronto, Vancouver, and Portland. Northeastern University Boston campus is spread over 73 acres in the heart of the city.

It hosts over 26,000 events in an academic year. You can always find on-campus performances, conferences, film screenings, or other activities to participate in. A detail of the student life at Northeastern University campus is provided below:

  • Northeastern University campus boasts 20 restaurants, cafes, and dining facilities.
  • Northeastern University is home to nearly 400 student organizations with 19,100 participant students.
  • The university campus offers a variety of support systems through 9 student support centers.
  • NU embraces cultural diversity through 9 cultural centers. The university reflects its vibrant student body with students from 135 countries.
  • You can engage in sports and athletic events along with health and counseling services on campus.
  • The Marino Recreation Center and the SquashBusters Center is the main area of student recreation.
  • Nearly 2,200 students of the university annually participate in the on-campus service learning activity.

Northeastern University Accommodation

Northeastern University accommodations are available for first-year, sophomores, and upperclassmen in the university housing through Housing and Residential Life programs.

On Campus Housing

Undergraduate students entering Northeastern University through the fall and spring intakes are required to live on campus for the first 2 years. Students pursuing global experience or co-op experience are excluded from this.All the first year students at Northeastern University must have a meal plan, which range from $2400-$4400 (depending on the number of meals in the plan)

Buildings Amount in USD Amount in INR
Kerr Hall 4,695- 5,125 3.82 lakhs- 4.17 lakhs
Light Hall 3,800- 5,870 3.09 lakhs- 4.77 lakhs
Melvin Hall 4,105- 5,870 3.34 lakhs- 4.77 lakhs
Smith Hall 3,800- 5,870 3.09 lakhs- 4.77 lakhs
Stetson Hall‐ East 5,125- 5,870 4.17 lakhs- 4.77 lakhs

Off-Campus Housing

Upperclassmen of Northeastern University, unable to secure on-campus accommodation, along with new or returning graduate students and law students can live off-campus. Off-campus housing in the Boston area can be found with the assistance of Off-Campus Housing and Support Services. Students can also register to the online Off-Campus Housing database of Northeastern University. Mentioned below are the average rent of off-campus accommodation for students:

Accommodation Average Rent (USD/Year) Average Rent (INR/Year)
1 Bedroom 9612 7.84 lakhs
2 Bedroom 6347 5.18 lakhs
3 Bedroom 5767 4.70 lakhs
4 Bedroom 5715 4.66 lakhs

Northeastern University Courses

Northeastern University has 318 undergraduate majors including 110 single and 208 combined courses. Northeastern University has 259 masters, professional doctorate, and certificate programs through on-campus, online, and hybrid modes of study. Some of the programs at Northeastern University are listed in the following table:

Northeastern University Admissions

Northeastern University admissions are decently competitive with an acceptance rate of 18.4%. The majority of the students enrolled in the university belong to the top 10% students of their previous academic course. The details of admission to Northeastern University are as follows:

Northeastern University UG Admission

Particulars Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Admission Portal Common app | Coalition app 
Application Fee 75 USD (5,980 INR)
Transcripts High school transcripts
Minimum GPA 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (87-89%)
Standardized test scores Middle 50% score SAT: 1470-1540 ACT: 33-35
Minimum TOEFL score 99-108 or equivalent
Letter of Recommendation  Not required
Statement of Purpose Not required
Other requirements Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF), waiver requests, English proficiency interview

Northeastern University PG Admission

Particulars Graduate Admission Requirements
Admission Portal University’s Portal
Application Fee 75 USD to 100 USD (5,980 INR to 7,970 INR)
Transcripts All academic transcripts
Minimum GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (83-86%)
Standardized test scores Average scores GMAT: 654 GRE: 320 LSAT: 163
Minimum TOEFL score 79 or equivalent
Letter of Recommendation 1-3 LOR(s)
Statement of Purpose Personal statement with details of academic interest and future goal (500-1000 words)
Other requirements Resume

Average scores required in standardized tests of Indian students

Exam Average Scores
GRE 317
GMAT 680
IELTS 7.5
TOEFL 98

Northeastern University Cost

The 4-year undergraduate tuition cost at Northeastern University is around $230,000 (~1.88 crores INR). This cost is quite higher than the national average of $145,000 (~1.2 crores INR). The estimated annual tuition fees of Northeastern University programs are as follows:

Undergraduate Fees

Expense Type Undergraduate Cost in USD Undergraduate Cost in INR
Tuition USD 56,500 47.09 Lakhs
Fees USD 1,060 0.87 Lakhs
Room and Board USD 17,810 6.73 Lakhs
Books and Personal Expenses USD 2,800 2.28 Lakhs

Graduate Fees

Expense Type Graduate Cost in USD Graduate Cost in INR
Tuition USD 40,000 - USD 70,000 32 Lakhs- 57.5 Lakhs
Fees USD 350 0.28 Lakhs
Room and Board USD 2,400 - USD 6,100 1.95 Lakhs- 4.96 lakhs
Books and Personal Expenses USD 2,400 1.95 Lakhs

Northeastern University Scholarships

  • Northeastern University scholarships are offered to 78% of the total students.
  • The university has endowed 339 million USD in institutional aid for 2021-2022.

International students are eligible for merit-based scholarships at Northeastern University. Incoming students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships while applying to undergraduate programs. Some of the available scholarships for international students are as follows:

International Scholars Award: Competitive merit-based scholarships offered as a partial cost of attendance. Students can get from $10,000 up to $28,000 per year.

Northeastern University Placement

Northeastern University is one of the best in terms of student placement. The university is ranked at #201-250 in QS Graduate Employability Rankings, 2022.97% of the graduates secured Northeastern University placements within 9 months after graduation. Northeastern University graduates are employed across leading companies like Amazon, Deloitte, Accenture, KPMG, EY, PwC, Accenture, Dell, Goldman Sachs, and IBM among others.

Northeastern University MBA Placement

Northeastern University MBA graduates recorded 91% placement within 4 months of graduation and 98% placement within 9 months after graduation. MBA graduates earn an average salary of 88,915 USD (72.74 Lakhs INR) per annum with the highest annual salary of around 137,000 USD (1.12 Crores INR). The average salary of the MBA graduates of Northeastern University, 2021, according to their respective functions are as follows:

Function Average Salary in USD Average Salary in INR Top hiring companies
Technology $98,400 80.61 lakhs IBM, Walmart
Finance $87,525 71.70 lakhs American Express, Oaktree Capital Management
Marketing/ Sales $85,636 70.15 lakhs Lego, Hasbro
Consulting $77,176 63.22 lakhs Accenture, PwC
Operations/ Logistics $84,047 68.85 lakhs P&G, Schneider Electric

Northeastern University Notable Alumni

Northeastern University Alumni Relations community includes 282,143 active alumni spread across 179 countries. The university has received a total of 194.4 million USD in donations for FY 2021.Some of the most notable alumni of Northeastern University are:

Alumni Company Designation
Nikesh Arora SoftBank President and Chief Operating Officer
Jeff Clarke Kodak CEO
Shawn Fanning Napster Founder
Biz Stone Twitter Co-founder
George D. Behrakis Tylenol Inventor of Tylenol

Northeastern University has a diverse range of academic programs, including in fields such as business, engineering, computer science, and health sciences. Northeastern has a strong reputation for its co-op program, which allows students to gain real-world work experience while completing their degrees. Overall, Northeastern University is considered a good option for students looking for a well-rounded, high-quality education in a diverse and dynamic setting.

FAQs

Ques. Is Northeastern University good?

Ans. Northeastern University is indeed a good university to get admitted into as it is one of the top 50 universities in the United States in U.S News & World Report.

Ques.Is Northeastern University a Tier 1 University?

Ans.Northeastern University is a highly ranked Tier 1 institution for highest research activity. The University is one of the 115 top tier R-1 institutions granted by Carnegie classification of institutions of Higher Education.

Ques.Is Northeastern University hard to get into?

Ans.Northeastern University is one of the highly selective universities in the USA with an acceptance rate of 18%. The university usually prefers students with strong academic backgrounds in addition to high GPA and standardized scores, thus it is quite hard to get into Northeastern.

Ques.Why did so many people apply to Northeastern?

Ans.In the fall admission of 2021-22, more than 75,000 applications were received for undergraduate admission at Northeastern. The reason why so many applicants prefer Northeastern is due to its experiential learning approach, and successfully opening the university campus after the covid-19 pandemic.

Ques.What GPA is needed for Northeastern?

Ans.The university generally accepts those with an unweighted GPA equal or above 4.0 in the previous qualifications they have achieved. The average GPA at Northeastern is recorded to be around 4.04.

Ques.What are the most popular programs at Northeastern?

Ans.The most popular programs at Northeastern are: Business, marketing, management, engineering, computer science, social sciences, biological & biomedical sciences, communications, health professions and journalism.