Northeastern University: An In-Depth Look at Undergraduate Student Demographics

Northeastern University, a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts, has experienced significant growth and transformation over the years. Founded in 1898, Northeastern has evolved from a small institute to a major university with a diverse student body. This article delves into the undergraduate student demographics at Northeastern University, examining enrollment trends, tuition costs, acceptance rates, and the overall student experience.

Historical Context and Enrollment Growth

In the 1970s, when Sherri Miller attended Northeastern, the Boston campus had approximately 15,000 undergraduate students and 5,000 graduate students. Miller chose Northeastern due to its affordability and the co-op program, which she believed would be the best option for her.

Fast forward to recent times, Northeastern's Boston campus is now bustling with students. According to the City of Boston’s 2023 Student Housing Trends report (the "Report"), Northeastern has led total enrollment growth since 2013 across all Boston colleges and universities, increasing by more than 16,707 students, or 63.2%. Total enrollment across all Boston colleges and universities has collectively increased by nearly 18,200 students, or 12.6%, since 2013. The Report collects enrollment and student housing data annually from 27 colleges and universities based in Boston proper and the greater Boston area, using enrollment information, the number of full-time undergraduates and graduates living in university housing, off-campus housing locations, and planned beds to measure student housing trends.

The Report indicates that Northeastern’s undergraduate enrollment has increased 24% since 2013. In comparison, Boston University (BU) increased undergraduate student enrollment 0.68% and its graduate enrollment by 28% since 2013.

Student Experiences and Housing Challenges

The surge in student enrollment has led to some challenges for Northeastern students. Gaby Murry, a fourth-year design major, expressed difficulty using campus buildings due to overcrowding. Students have also reported challenges in finding accessible spaces on campus.

Many students have been placed in dorm rooms initially designed for one or two people that now house two or three people. Since 2018, Northeastern has housed students in the Midtown Hotel, about 0.6 miles from Centennial Common. Additionally, Northeastern houses students at 60 Belvidere St., formerly the south tower of the Sheraton Hotel, which is 0.8 miles away from Centennial Common.

The closure of White Hall, which had around 400 beds, due to significant water damage has also contributed to Northeastern’s ongoing housing shortage. Students assigned to live in White Hall were reassigned housing days before the fall 2023 semester began. Since 2007, Northeastern has added three residence halls with an additional 3,655 undergraduate beds on the university’s Boston campus, according to Northeastern media relations.

Wooddell and Levy were placed in a dorm housing three students that is designed for two on the 12th floor of East Village (EV), alongside Global Scholars and John Martinson Honors Program students.

Wooddell, a second-year business administration and communication studies combined major, said the lack of affordable housing on campus impacts her as a student receiving financial aid. She noted that her current on-campus apartment "is one of my only options as a student here on financial aid" as she is required to live in on-campus housing all four years. She also expressed concern about Northeastern housing students in locations like the Sheraton Hotel, calling it "a little too misleading."

Aashna Sahani, a second-year mechanical engineering major, lived at 60 Belvidere St. as a first-year student. Emily Aitken, a third-year double major in physics and combined major in math and philosophy, said she prefers "the summers [on campus] because it is so much more relaxed in terms of fighting for a spot in a classroom or on Centennial." She also lived at 60 Belvidere St.

Off-Campus Housing and Cost of Living

Northeastern’s increased student enrollment has made it more challenging to find off-campus housing once students have surpassed their two years of guaranteed on-campus housing. In Boston, the average cost of rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $4,364/month, according to data collected by CoStar Group published on Apartments.com.

Additional strain on the market comes from graduate students looking for housing. From 2021 to 2023, the number of Northeastern graduate students looking for off-campus housing in Boston increased by nearly 88%, resulting in 7,875 graduate students looking for housing in the Boston area, according to the Report. This student expansion has contributed to the pressure on the housing market and lowered the available housing pool for Boston’s non-students and families. According to the Report, every housing unit rented by students shrinks the housing pool available for the workforce and families of Boston.

University Initiatives and Future Plans

In June 2024, Northeastern released its Institutional Master Plan (IMP) for the next decade. Additionally, Northeastern received approval from the Boston Planning and Development Agency in March 2024 to build a 23-story residence hall at 840 Columbus Ave., which is currently a parking lot. The IMP proposes around 2,360 new beds to be added over the next 10 years with the new construction replacing White Hall and 840 Columbus Ave., as well as the lease of 60 Belvidere St.

Sahani noted that while Northeastern has "great facilities and resources," the increased enrollment makes it more difficult for students to access and utilize them.

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Net Price

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Northeastern University is $62,000, which is $30,997 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004). After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $34,770.

In 2023, 65% of undergraduate students attending Northeastern University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 28% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans. In 2022, the default rate for borrowers at Northeastern University was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 3,932 total borrowers.

Admissions and Acceptance Rate

Northeastern University received 96,631 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 6.19% annual growth. Out of those 96,631 applicants, 5,459 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 5.65% acceptance rate.

Northeastern University has an overall enrollment yield of 50.3%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Enrollment Demographics

Northeastern University had a total enrollment of 31,159 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at Northeastern University is 29,738 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,421. This means that 95.4% of students enrolled at Northeastern University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Northeastern University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 30.2% White, 14% Asian, 7.34% Hispanic or Latino, 4.15% Two or More Races, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.0449% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0353% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Northeastern University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (22.7%), followed by White Male (18.3%) and Asian Female (11.9%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (10.2%), followed by White Male (7.7%) and Asian Female (3.66%).

Graduates and Degrees Awarded

In 2023, 9,832 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Northeastern University. 50.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (3,417 degrees), 2.89 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1,184 degrees).

In 2023, 76 more women than men received degrees from Northeastern University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Northeastern University is white (3,417 degrees awarded). There were 2.89 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1,184 degrees).

In 2023, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Northeastern University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Engineering (2,780 degrees awarded), Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (1,778 degrees), and Math & Statistics (285 degrees).

In 2023, 91% of students graduating from Northeastern University completed their program within 150% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 91% completed their degrees within 200% of the normal time. The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at Northeastern University is Female and Asian (95.1% graduation rate).

Diversity and Inclusion

College Factual's diversity report reveals that Northeastern ranks 54 out of 2,183 when it comes to geographic diversity. 74.75% of Northeastern students come from out of state, and 18.05% come from out of the country. The undergraduate student body is split among 45 states (may include Washington D.C.).

The age diversity score this school received indicates it is doing a good job attracting students of all ages.

Northeastern's Co-op Program

Launched in 1909, Northeastern has one of the largest and oldest cooperative education (co-op) programs in the world. In order to graduate from Northeastern, all students must meet the cooperative education requirement which can be achieved through a co-op employment, or through study abroad. Most students opt for at least one stint of employment through the co-op program, however students are able to complete one, two, or three employment placements prior to graduation. When pursuing two or three placements, students alternate periods of academic study with periods of professional employment (usually paid) related to their major. If students complete three co-op employment placements, they will take five years to graduate. If they complete one or two, they may graduate in four years. Students on co-op do not pay tuition and students not living on campus do not pay room and board, however they may still need to pay certain fees, such as recreation fees to use the gym facilities. The co-op program typically begins the spring of the second year or fall of the third year (after a more traditional program for the first semesters on campus).

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