Northeastern University
Northeastern publishes 5.2% (Fall 2024 entering class). Early Decision applicants got in at 43%; everyone else at 3.8%.
Acceptance rate
What Northeastern's 5.2% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Northeastern reports itself.
By application round
Fall 2024 entering class (first-time, first-year, degree-seeking applicants)
Read the full decomposition →Early Decision advantage
43% of 3,466 ED applicants were admitted (1,492), against 3.8% for everyone else.
Fall 2024 entering class (first-time, first-year, degree-seeking applicants) · as of August 2026
See where Northeastern ranks →Transfer
Fall 2024 transfer entrants (CDS 2024-25, Section D2) · as of August 2026 · 3.8× easier than first-year
Read the transfer analysis →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Official policy: 'Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require applicants to submit standardized testing to be considered for admission.' Applicants may still submit SAT (code 3667) or ACT (code 1880); Northeastern superscores across both test types. Policy is described as continuing 'for the foreseeable future' with no announced end date or reinstatement.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1440–1540sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 33–35
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (ED); Nov 1, 2026 (EA); Jan 1, 2027 (ED2)
- Regular decision
- Jan 1, 2027Source
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 17,326
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $66,162
- Category
- Private
- Admissions site
- www.northeastern.edu
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Northeastern test policy (2026-27)
- Northeastern deadlines
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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