Northeastern University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Northeastern University is a private nonprofit college in Boston, MA. Students pay about $30,915 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $92,538 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.2 years and adds $310,470 over a decade, ranking it #37 of 918 (top 5%) by value added.
What is Northeastern University's acceptance rate?
Northeastern University has an acceptance rate of 5.2%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Boston, MA enrolling about 17,326 students, with a 90.5% graduation rate.
How much does Northeastern University cost?
Northeastern University costs about $30,915 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $147,910. Published sticker cost of attendance is $84,641 per year.
How much do Northeastern University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Northeastern University student earns $92,538 per year. That is $45,838 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Northeastern University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Northeastern University pays back its roughly $147,910 cost in about 3.2 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $310,470 net of cost, a 3.1x return on the money invested. That ranks it #37 of 918 (top 5%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Northeastern University graduation rate and student debt
90.5% of Northeastern University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $24,250 in federal student debt. That debt is about 26% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Northeastern University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Northeastern University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $30,915 | $20,299 | cheaper than 15% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $92,538 | $54,768 | 97th |
| Graduation rate | 90.5% | 57.0% | 96th |
| Acceptance rate | 5.2% | 75.7% | more selective than 99% |
| 10-yr value added | $310,470 | -$28,192 | 96th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.1x | 0.73x | 92th |
| Payback period | 3.2 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 89% |
How Northeastern University compares with its nearest rivals
Northeastern University ranks #37 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 1 of them produces higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Northeastern University is a private nonprofit college in Boston, MA with 17,326 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $84,641 a year, but the average aided family pays $30,915, a 63% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $24,250, equal to 26% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Northeastern University: 5.2% of applicants are admitted.
- Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, ME; #36 of 918; 59.9% graduate) costs $7,501 less per year ($23,414 net), and its graduates earn $2,574 less ten years out ($89,964). Maine Maritime Academy adds $1,514 more ten-year value than Northeastern University. Maine Maritime Academy pays back its cost in 2.8 years.
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA; #38 of 918; 91.9% graduate) costs $1,825 more per year ($32,740 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($92,498). Northeastern University adds $1,450 more ten-year value than University of Southern California. University of Southern California pays back its cost in 3.3 years.
- Kettering University (Flint, MI; #35 of 918; 70.7% graduate) costs $3,745 more per year ($34,660 net), and its graduates earn $2,285 more ten years out ($94,823). Kettering University adds $5,120 more ten-year value than Northeastern University. Kettering University pays back its cost in 3.4 years.
- The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York, NY; #39 of 918; 80.7% graduate) costs $17,646 less per year ($13,269 net), and its graduates earn $8,691 less ten years out ($83,847). Northeastern University adds $7,076 more ten-year value than Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art pays back its cost in 1.8 years.
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA; #34 of 918; 86.8% graduate) costs $18,445 less per year ($12,470 net), and its graduates earn $7,595 less ten years out ($84,943). University of California-San Diego adds $6,580 more ten-year value than Northeastern University. University of California-San Diego pays back its cost in 1.7 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-San Diego | #34 | $12,470 | $84,943 | 86.8% | $317,050 |
| Kettering University | #35 | $34,660 | $94,823 | 70.7% | $315,590 |
| Maine Maritime Academy | #36 | $23,414 | $89,964 | 59.9% | $311,984 |
| Northeastern University | #37 | $30,915 | $92,538 | 90.5% | $310,470 |
| University of Southern California | #38 | $32,740 | $92,498 | 91.9% | $309,020 |
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | #39 | $13,269 | $83,847 | 80.7% | $303,394 |
Paying for Northeastern University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Northeastern University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Northeastern University ranks #37 of 918 (top 5%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.1x the money invested over a decade.
Is Northeastern University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $30,915 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 15% of them.
Do Northeastern University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $92,538 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 97% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Northeastern University compared to other colleges?
Its 5.2% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 99% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.