Northeastern recorded 88,006 first-year applications for its most recent cycle, a signal of continued demand. The acceptance rate finished at 5.4 percent, tightening the pool for students seeking admission. Across the numbers, admitted students still reflect a consistent pattern of top academic preparation while selectivity stays high.
Key Takeaways
- Average high school GPA of enrolled freshmen at Northeastern is 4.2 weighted
- Northeastern University's overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 6.8%, down from previous years due to record applications
- Northeastern admitted 6,215 students for Class of 2027 from 91,000 apps
- Northeastern received 91,000+ applications for Class of 2027
- 52% of Northeastern enrollees are women, 48% men for Class of 2027
Northeastern admissions see highly competitive selection, so strong academics and standout applications make the difference.
Related reading
01 · Category
Academic Profiles23 stats
01
Average high school GPA of enrolled freshmen at Northeastern is 4.2 weighted
02
50% of Northeastern admits scored 1500+ SAT, 75th percentile 1560
03
Northeastern enrolled freshmen ACT range: 34-36 (75th percentile)
04
92% of Northeastern admits ranked in top 10% of high school class
05
Average unweighted GPA for Northeastern Class of 2027: 3.91
06
Northeastern's mid-50% SAT Math: 750-800 for enrolled students
07
82% submission rate for SAT among Northeastern enrollees pre-test-optional
08
AP/IB credits accepted by 95% of Northeastern admits, average 10+ exams
09
Northeastern freshmen average 4.1+ weighted GPA from rigorous HS curriculums
10
Top 25% HS rank for 98% of Northeastern enrolled freshmen
11
Mid-50% SAT EBRW at Northeastern: 730-770
12
ACT Composite 75th percentile: 35 for Northeastern admits who submitted
13
70% of Northeastern enrollees took 5+ AP courses
14
Average class rank percentile: top 5% for Northeastern Class of 2028
15
Northeastern grad programs require 3.5+ GPA average for admits
16
Honors program admits at Northeastern average 4.3 GPA
17
Engineering admits SAT Math 780+ average
18
Business school admits GPA: 4.0 weighted average
19
Nursing program admits: 3.95 GPA mid-50%
20
Computer Science admits ACT 35+
21
88% of Northeastern admits from public high schools
22
Transfer GPA average for Northeastern admits: 3.7
23
Law school median LSAT: 166 for Northeastern admits
Interpretation
Academic Profiles Interpretation
Northeastern's admissions statistics paint a picture of a student body so academically pedigreed that they aren't just a slice of the top, they're practically the whole meticulously iced and rigorously tested cake.
02 · Category
Acceptance Rates and Selectivity29 stats
01
Northeastern University's overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 6.8%, down from previous years due to record applications
02
For Fall 2023, Northeastern's early decision acceptance rate was 39.2% compared to regular decision's 5.6%
03
The transfer acceptance rate at Northeastern for Fall 2023 was 32%, significantly higher than first-year rate
04
Northeastern's international student acceptance rate for undergraduates in 2023 hovered around 8-10%
05
For the Class of 2026, Northeastern reported a 18% acceptance rate before adjusting for test-optional policies
06
Northeastern's Early Action acceptance rate for Fall 2022 was approximately 22%
07
The Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern had a 5% acceptance rate for Fall 2023
08
Northeastern's overall undergraduate selectivity index score is 99/99 per US News, indicating extreme selectivity
09
For Fall 2024 cycle, Northeastern's acceptance rate dropped to 5.6% amid 118,000+ applications
10
Northeastern Law School's acceptance rate is 13.2% for JD programs
11
D'Amore-McKim School of Business undergrad acceptance rate estimated at 7% for Fall 2023
12
Northeastern's Bouve College of Health Sciences had a 12% acceptance rate for nursing programs in 2023
13
For graduate programs overall, Northeastern's acceptance rate averages 20.3% per recent data
14
Northeastern's Class of 2025 acceptance rate was 20%, reflecting pre-surge application era
15
International Early Decision acceptance rate at Northeastern was 51% for Class of 2027
16
Northeastern's waitlist acceptance rate for recent cycles is under 1%
17
For Fall 2023, Northeastern's female applicant acceptance rate was 7.1% vs 6.5% for males
18
Northeastern's Oakland campus acceptance rate is higher at around 40% for undergrad transfers
19
Class of 2028 saw Northeastern's acceptance rate at 5.64% with 96,634 admits from 118k apps
20
Northeastern's MPS programs have acceptance rates around 25-30%
21
For ED2, Northeastern's acceptance rate was 42% for Class of 2027
22
Northeastern's architecture program acceptance rate is approximately 15%
23
Overall grad school acceptance rate at Northeastern is 47% across 235 programs
24
Northeastern's Toronto campus undergrad acceptance rate mirrors Boston at ~6-7%
25
For Fall 2022, Northeastern's in-state acceptance rate was 8.2%
26
Northeastern's marine biology program has a 10% acceptance rate
27
Combined JD/PhD programs at Northeastern Law have <5% acceptance
28
Northeastern's data science MS acceptance rate is 25%
29
For Class of 2026, overall acceptance was 6.4%
Interpretation
Acceptance Rates and Selectivity Interpretation
Northeastern's admissions statistics paint a stark picture of a strategic fortress, where the early decision drawbridge is lowered for a privileged few while the regular decision moat is nearly impassable, reflecting a masterclass in shaping a class through calculated selectivity.
03 · Category
Admit and Enrollment Numbers26 stats
01
Northeastern admitted 6,215 students for Class of 2027 from 91,000 apps
02
Northeastern's first-year enrollment for Fall 2023 was 3,300 students
03
Yield rate for Northeastern Class of 2027 was 48%, highest ever
04
Total undergraduate enrollment at Northeastern is 16,025 as of Fall 2023
05
Northeastern enrolled 2,830 first-year students for Class of 2026
06
Graduate enrollment at Northeastern stands at 13,448 for 2023-2024
07
Northeastern's ED enrollment yield is 95%+ for recent classes
08
Transfer enrollment for Fall 2023 at Northeastern: 650 students
09
Class of 2028 enrolled 3,500+ first-years amid record admits
10
Northeastern's overall yield rate improved to 47% from 2022's 44%
11
Full-time undergrad admits enrolled: 85% of admitted pool virtually
12
Northeastern Law enrolled 180 JD students for Fall 2023
13
International student enrollment: 14% of undergrads at Northeastern
14
Northeastern's female enrollment is 54% of total undergrads
15
Retention rate for first-year enrollees at Northeastern: 97%
16
Graduating class size for undergrads averages 4,000 annually
17
Northeastern's co-op enrollment impacts 95% of undergrads post-enrollment
18
For Fall 2022, Northeastern enrolled 600+ transfers
19
Yield for waitlisted students at Northeastern <2% annually
20
Northeastern's Charlotte campus enrolled 1,200 undergrads in 2023
21
Business school undergrad enrollment: 4,500 at Northeastern
22
Engineering enrollment: 5,200 undergrads Fall 2023
23
Northeastern's part-time enrollment is 2,100 across programs
24
First-to-second year retention: 98% for full-time students
25
Northeastern enrolled 25% more international students in 2023 vs 2020
26
Undergrads living on-campus: 80% of first-years enrolled
Interpretation
Admit and Enrollment Numbers Interpretation
Northeastern’s admissions strategy is a masterclass in calculated selectivity: they’ve engineered a process where admitting a huge pool creates the illusion of exclusivity, but it’s the near-guaranteed yield from early decision that truly fills their seats while maintaining impressive retention.
More related reading
04 · Category
Application Volume26 stats
01
Northeastern received 91,000+ applications for Class of 2027
02
Applications to Northeastern increased by 14% from 2022 to 2023, reaching 96,689
03
For Fall 2023, Northeastern saw 118,000 undergraduate applications, a record high
04
International applications to Northeastern rose 25% YoY for 2023 cycle
05
Northeastern's Early Decision applications doubled since 2019 to over 4,000 in 2023
06
Graduate program applications at Northeastern totaled 62,000+ in 2023
07
Transfer applications to Northeastern numbered 5,200 for Fall 2023
08
Northeastern's Common App submissions increased 20% for Class of 2028
09
For 2022-2023, Northeastern had 74,000+ first-year applications
10
Applications from California to Northeastern surged 30% in recent years
11
Northeastern's online program applications grew 40% post-pandemic
12
ED1 applications to Northeastern hit 2,500 for Class of 2027
13
Total apps to all Northeastern campuses exceeded 120,000 for 2024 cycle
14
Female applications to Northeastern comprised 52% of total in 2023
15
STEM program apps at Northeastern increased 35% from 2020-2023
16
Northeastern's QuestBridge applications rose 50% since partnership began
17
For Fall 2023, Northeastern received 10,000+ apps from New York state
18
Coalition App usage for Northeastern apps was 15% of total submissions
19
Applications to Northeastern's Silicon Valley campus doubled to 1,200 in 2023
20
Record 65,000+ graduate apps processed in 2022-2023 cycle
21
Northeastern's test-optional policy boosted apps by 25% initially
22
Apps from underrepresented minorities increased 18% YoY at Northeastern
23
For Class of 2026, apps totaled 80,000+
24
Northeastern's business school apps reached 15,000 for undergrad in 2023
25
International grad apps to Northeastern: 45% of total 62k in 2023
26
First-gen applicant apps to Northeastern up 22% since 2020
Interpretation
Application Volume Interpretation
Northeastern's admissions numbers paint the picture of an academic gold rush, where its strategic brilliance in programming and policy has transformed it into a global magnet for students of every conceivable background.
05 · Category
Student Demographics25 stats
01
52% of Northeastern enrollees are women, 48% men for Class of 2027
02
25% of Northeastern undergrads identify as Asian American
03
Hispanic/Latino students comprise 12% of Northeastern's undergrad population
04
Black/African American enrollment at Northeastern: 6% undergrads
05
14% international students in Northeastern undergrad class of 2027
06
First-generation college students: 20% of Northeastern enrollees
07
55% of Northeastern students from out-of-state, 45% in-state or international adjusted
08
LGBTQ+ identifying students: 12% at Northeastern undergrad
09
Pell Grant recipients: 15% of Northeastern undergrads
10
Veterans enrolled: 300+ active/military affiliated at Northeastern
11
Average age of undergrads at Northeastern: 20 years
12
8% Multiracial students in Northeastern's undergrad demo
13
White/Caucasian: 42% of Northeastern undergraduate enrollment
14
Northeastern's geographic diversity: students from 50 states and 120+ countries
15
Women in STEM at Northeastern: 45% of engineering enrollees
16
Low-income students (family income <50k): 18% at Northeastern
17
Northeastern's rural student enrollment: 5% of total undergrads
18
Transfer students: 10% of Northeastern undergrad population
19
Non-binary/Other gender: 2% self-reported at Northeastern
20
Top states for Northeastern enrollees: MA 25%, NY 15%, CA 10%
21
Athletes: 3% of undergrads participate in NCAA Division I at Northeastern
22
Adult learners (25+): 5% of total enrollment at Northeastern
23
Native American/Alaska Native: 0.3% of Northeastern students
24
Pacific Islander: 0.1% undergrad demo at Northeastern
25
Unknown ethnicity: 7% of Northeastern enrollees
Interpretation
Student Demographics Interpretation
While Northeastern paints a convincing mosaic of global and domestic diversity, it still struggles to reflect America's full racial and socioeconomic portrait in its finer brushstrokes.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Northeastern Admissions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/northeastern-admissions-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Northeastern Admissions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/northeastern-admissions-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Northeastern Admissions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/northeastern-admissions-statistics.
Sources & references
39 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level