by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Northeastern retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 97% students making it past their freshmen year, Northeastern has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Northeastern | 97% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Massachusetts | 73.02% |
Of the 3824 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 40% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 91% of the students had graduated and after eight years 91% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical Northeastern graduation rate 91%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1691 | 40% |
| Six Years | 3824 | 91% |
| Eight Years | 32 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 361 | 9% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 361 students or 9% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 361 students who did not complete their degree?
8 are still enrolled.
225 transferred to another institution.
Northeastern lost contact with the remaining 129 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 2.2% |
| Transferred | 225 | 62.3% |
| Dropped Out | 129 | 35.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 93% |
| Black / African-American | 86% |
| Hispanic | 89% |
| International | 88% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 87% |
| Unknown | 89% |
| White | 91% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
The majority of students at Northeastern are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Northeastern University represent 80.57% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Northeastern graduation rate was 91%, and by the eight year mark, 92% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | Northeastern | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 32% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 91% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 92% | 47.82% |
280 first-time / full-time students or 8% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
181 transferred to another institution.
Northeastern lost contact with the remaining 95 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.43% |
| Transferred | 181 | 64.64% |
| Dropped Out | 95 | 33.93% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data for this cohort at Northeastern University.
Returning / full-time students at Northeastern University represent 19.43% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Northeastern graduation rate was 90%, and by the eight year mark, 90% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | Northeastern | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 90% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 90% | 55.07% |
81 non first-time / part-time students or 10% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
44 transferred to another institution.
Northeastern lost contact with the remaining 34 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 3.70% |
| Transferred | 44 | 54.32% |
| Dropped Out | 34 | 41.98% |
At this time we lack data for this cohort at Northeastern University.
