The average acceptance rate at Northeastern over the past 10 years is 17.83%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 5.22%. Northeastern is highly selective, and gaining admission is challenging for most applicants.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 4 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 30.93%, and the 2025 yield is 53.75%. Overall, the yield has increased by 176.50% from 2015 to 2025.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 5.22%, representing an increasingly selective admissions process. This indicates that Northeastern has become more competitive over the past decade, as the institution receives a growing number of applications while maintaining or reducing the number of admitted students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 53.75%. This rising yield trend demonstrates that Northeastern is increasingly successful at converting admitted students into enrolled students. An increasing yield rate suggests stronger student preference for Northeastern and indicates that the institution's admitted class quality and perceived value continue to improve.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Northeastern received approximately 98,425 applications, admitted 5,133 students, and enrolled 2,759 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Northeastern is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Northeastern 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Northeastern over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 4 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 17.83%, while the most recent rate stands at 5.22%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 5.22%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 17.53% and for women is 18.11%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Northeastern have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 28.48% | 28.98% | 28.04% |
| 2016-17 | 28.88% 0.40% |
29.13% 0.15% |
28.66% 0.63% |
| 2017-18 | 27.44% -1.44% |
27.15% -1.98% |
27.69% -0.97% |
| 2018-19 | 19.34% -8.10% |
18.93% -8.22% |
19.68% -8.01% |
| 2019-20 | 18.05% -1.29% |
18.35% -0.58% |
17.80% -1.89% |
| 2020-21 | 20.48% 2.42% |
20.81% 2.46% |
20.19% 2.39% |
| 2021-22 | 18.00% -2.48% |
16.00% -4.81% |
20.00% -0.19% |
| 2022-23 | 6.80% -11.20% |
5.79% -10.21% |
7.57% -12.43% |
| 2023-24 | 5.65% -1.15% |
5.28% -0.50% |
5.92% -1.65% |
| 2024-25 | 5.22% -0.43% |
4.82% -0.46% |
5.52% -0.40% |
| Average | 17.83% | 17.53% | 18.11% |
Northeastern has demonstrated an improvement in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has increased from 19.44% in 2015 to 53.75% in 2025, representing a 176.50% increase. The 10-year average yield stands at 30.93%, reflecting strengthening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Northeastern from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has increased by 176.50% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 19.44% | 20.87% | 18.16% |
| 2016-17 | 18.15% -1.29% |
19.22% -1.66% |
17.21% -0.95% |
| 2017-18 | 20.89% 2.75% |
22.12% 2.90% |
19.86% 2.65% |
| 2018-19 | 22.80% 1.91% |
24.03% 1.91% |
21.80% 1.93% |
| 2019-20 | 26.65% 3.85% |
27.80% 3.78% |
25.64% 3.84% |
| 2020-21 | 23.70% -2.96% |
23.95% -3.86% |
23.48% -2.16% |
| 2021-22 | 33.00% 9.30% |
33.00% 9.05% |
31.99% 8.51% |
| 2022-23 | 40.69% 7.69% |
39.97% 6.97% |
41.10% 9.10% |
| 2023-24 | 50.27% 9.58% |
50.25% 10.28% |
50.35% 9.26% |
| 2024-25 | 53.75% 3.48% |
52.96% 2.71% |
54.26% 3.91% |
| Average | 30.93% | 31.42% | 30.39% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 70,609, the average number of admitted is 11,082, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 2,994.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Northeastern University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 50,523 | 14,388 | 2,797 |
| 2016-17 | 51,063 1.07% |
14,747 2.50% |
2,676 -4.33% |
| 2017-18 | 54,209 6.16% |
14,876 0.87% |
3,108 16.14% |
| 2018-19 | 62,272 14.87% |
12,042 -19.05% |
2,746 -11.65% |
| 2019-20 | 62,263 -0.01% |
11,240 -6.66% |
2,996 9.10% |
| 2020-21 | 64,459 3.53% |
13,199 17.43% |
3,128 4.41% |
| 2021-22 | 75,244 16.73% |
13,544 2.61% |
4,469 42.87% |
| 2022-23 | 91,000 20.94% |
6,191 -54.29% |
2,519 -43.63% |
| 2023-24 | 96,631 6.19% |
5,459 -11.82% |
2,744 8.93% |
| 2024-25 | 98,425 1.86% |
5,133 -5.97% |
2,759 0.55% |
| Average | 70,609 | 11,082 | 2,994 |
The following table compares Northeastern University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 5.65% | 5.22% | -7.61% |
| Hofstra University | 68.08% | 70.59% | -3.56% |
| Drexel University | 79.44% | 77.53% | 2.46% |
| James Madison University | 71.52% | 76.25% | -6.20% |
| Elon University | 66.35% | 67.31% | -1.43% |
| Towson University | 81.97% | 82.80% | -1.00% |
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