Northeastern Admission Requirements

How hard is it to get into Northeastern and can I get accepted? The school has a 27% acceptance rate ranking it #10 in Massachusetts for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 14,876 out of 54,209 applicants were admitted making Northeastern a highly competitive school to get into with a lesser chance of acceptance for qualifying applicants.  Academically, it has exceptionally high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 4 percent. Northeastern University typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students. Only 21% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class.

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SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Northeastern University?

Northeastern University typically requires applicants to be in the top 4 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1420 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1360. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1480 out of 1600. The school ranks #8 in Massachusetts for highest average SAT composite score. 33 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Northeastern?

Admission data indicates that Northeastern regularly accepts students with ACT's of 32 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 3 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 31 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 33 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 34 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #5 in Massachusetts for highest average ACT composite score. 53 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Northeastern University.

You will need exceptionally good grades to get into Northeastern University. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Northeastern University was 3.91 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #6 in Massachusetts for highest average GPA. Even with a competitive GPA, admission to Northeastern will be challenging as the school denies more applicants than it admits.

 What do these ratings mean?

64% of Northeastern University freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

What are the requirements for admission to Northeastern University and what considerations affect admission decisions?