Northeastern University
Northeastern University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Northeastern University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Massachusetts
- #3 Best Online Doctorate of Physical Therapy
- #3 Best Online MBAs Massachusetts
- #3 Massachusetts' Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Accelerated Online Doctorate of Nursing
- #4 Online Bachelor’s in Digital Media
- #4 Online Master's in Economics
- #4 20 Fastest Online Bachelor's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #5 Online Master's in Art Education
- #7 Online Master’s in Green Technologies
- #8 Research Universities in Massachusetts 2026
- #9 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2026
- #9 Most Affordable Online Sociology Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs)
- #11 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #12 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #18 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
- #25 Most Influential Colleges in Hockey Today
- #35 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #46 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
About Northeastern University
According to Wikipedia, Northeastern University is a private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1898, it was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association as an all-male institute before being incorporated as Northeastern College in 1916, gaining university status in 1922. With more than 36,000 students, Northeastern is one of the largest universities in Massachusetts by enrollment.
Northeastern University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96,631 | 5% | 97% | 91% | 1490 | 34 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Northeastern University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $69,289 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Northeastern University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Northeastern University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $99,371 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Northeastern University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 41,654 | 23,278 | 18,376 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Northeastern University?
Northeastern University is located at 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115-5005.
How Safe is Northeastern University?
Relative to its enrollment, Northeastern University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Boston has a violent crime rate of 0.63% and a property crime rate of 2.03%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Northeastern University Known For?
Northeastern University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Criminal Justice
- Computer Science
- Business
- Law
- Engineering
- Education
- Biology
- Political Science
- Nursing
- Physics
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Medical
- Communications
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
Northeastern University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Northeastern University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Northeastern University ranks #39 in the U.S. and #46 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNortheastern University ranks #65 in the U.S. and #187 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesNortheastern University ranks #80 in the U.S. and #204 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNortheastern University ranks #89 in the U.S. and #261 worldwide for influence in Law.
Northeastern University ranks #99 in the U.S. and #372 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNortheastern University ranks #103 in the U.S. and #340 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNortheastern University ranks #103 in the U.S. and #334 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNortheastern University ranks #106 in the U.S. and #368 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNortheastern University ranks #107 in the U.S. and #250 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNortheastern University ranks #108 in the U.S. and #435 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNortheastern University ranks #111 in the U.S. and #236 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesNortheastern University ranks #118 in the U.S. and #260 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNortheastern University ranks #121 in the U.S. and #454 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNortheastern University ranks #125 in the U.S. and #375 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNortheastern University ranks #125 in the U.S. and #418 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNortheastern University ranks #128 in the U.S. and #431 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNortheastern University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #617 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesNortheastern University ranks #156 in the U.S. and #428 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNortheastern University ranks #162 in the U.S. and #459 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNortheastern University ranks #173 in the U.S. and #775 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNortheastern University ranks #181 in the U.S. and #840 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesNortheastern University ranks #189 in the U.S. and #630 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesNortheastern University ranks #195 in the U.S. and #601 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesNortheastern University ranks #364 in the U.S. and #1591 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Northeastern University's Most Influential Alumni?
Northeastern University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Computer Science, and Business. Here are some of Northeastern University's most famous alumni:
- Richard P. Gabriel
- An American writer and academic.
- Yale Patt
- An American academic.
- Marc Raibert
- An American roboticist.
- Barbara Kopple
- An American film/documentary director.
- AK Abdul Momen
- A Bangladeshi Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Toby Huff
- An American sociologist.
- Michael L. Tushman
- An American organizational theorist.
- Mary Doria Russell
- An American novelist.
- Charles Nemeroff
- An American psychiatrist.
- David Ferriero
- An American archivist .
- Walter V. Robinson
- An American journalist.
- Jewelle Gomez
- An American writer.
Who Are Northeastern University's Most Influential Faculty?
Northeastern University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Computer Science, and Business. Here are some of Northeastern University's most famous faculty:
- Benjamin Bolger
- An American academic.
- Roberta Sinatra
- A Researcher.
- Joseph M. Reagle Jr.
- An American academic and author.
- Daniel P. Aldrich
- An American political scientist.
- Carlos Gershenson
- A Mexican researcher.
- Nathan Eagle
- A Businessperson.
- Thomas J. Webster
- An American engineering researcher.
- Justin B. Ries
- An American marine scientist.
- Yuehe Lin
- A Researcher.
- Gil Rose
- An American conductor.
- Matthew Hoch
- An American academic.
- Shalanda Baker
- A United States lawyer and government official.
