by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Northeastern University, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The total published cost of attendance at Northeastern University comes to about $81,353.00 per year.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $66,162.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,191.00 |
| Total cost | $81,353.00 |
| That is 148% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $81,353.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$53,726.00 |
| Net price | $27,627.00 |
| That is 16% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $81,353.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$82,377.00 |
| Net price | $-1,024.00 |
| That is 103% below the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with tuition and fees and room and board. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by roughly 4.7% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan math assumes ten-year repayment at 6.8% interest.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $-1,072.00 | $28,935.00 | $85,203.00 |
| Senior year | $-1,232.00 | $33,240.00 | $97,882.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-4,604.00 | $124,217.00 | $365,780.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-1,754.00 | $47,322.00 | $139,349.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-53.00 | $1,429.00 | $4,209.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-6,358.00 | $171,539.00 | $505,130.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $-1,072.00 | $28,935.00 | $85,203.00 |
| Senior year | $-1,123.00 | $30,304.00 | $89,236.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-2,196.00 | $59,238.00 | $174,439.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-836.00 | $22,568.00 | $66,455.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-25.00 | $682.00 | $2,007.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-3,032.00 | $81,806.00 | $240,894.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net-price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $30,915.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $32,116.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $5,900.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $6,383.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,482.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,109.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $51,753.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Northeastern University Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the financial aid breakdown.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of Northeastern University comes to $22,000.00, placing the school in the Moderate ($20-30k) debt-burden category.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,757.00 |
| 25th | $14,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $22,000.00 |
| 75th | $31,000.00 |
| 90th | $34,500.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt detail.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $21,950.00 |
| Middle income | $22,601.00 |
| High income | $21,500.00 |
On average, low-income graduates leave with $450.00 more debt than high-income graduates.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $22,249.00 |
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Northeastern University is $1,667.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Northeastern University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 3.9% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at Northeastern University amount to $1,471,703,811.00 across 58,566 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 189 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $28,619.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 13 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $4,173.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veteran aid breakdown.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Northeastern University, think through the questions below:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.