Admissions Factors
What Northeastern Looks For
Northeastern rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, standardized test scores and recommendations.
How Northeastern rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
5.6%
5,920 of 105,256 applicants
Early decision admit rate
35.3%
Early decision admits equal 70% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
Not reported
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 4.22. 40% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Northeastern look for in applicants?
Northeastern rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, standardized test scores and recommendations.
Does Northeastern consider legacy status?
Northeastern rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Northeastern track demonstrated interest?
Northeastern rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".
What is Northeastern's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 1,910 of 5,404 applicants were admitted (35.3%), against 5.6% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Northeastern’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
