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Northeastern University
Boston, MA 15,719 Undergrads 90.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$81,353
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$32,116
After Aid
Median Earnings
$92,538
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$32,116
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$92,538
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate90.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients12.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time100.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS88.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
5.7%
SAT Avg
1,505
SAT Reading
25th: 71073075th: 760
SAT Math
25th: 75076075th: 790
ACT Composite
25th: 333475th: 35
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$759k
+$362k
+$274k
Median Cost$32k/yr
+$643k
+$247k
+$159k
Full Cost$81k/yr
+$466k
+$69k
-$19k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$32k/yr
35
137%
Full Cost$81k/yr
Never
-6%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return79%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-42%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$97,781
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,802
Earnings (5yr)
$97,536
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,729
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$110,708
Lifetime Value Added
+$308k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$26,623
Earnings (5yr)
$104,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,641
Earnings (5yr)
$95,388
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$94,368
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$77,774
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,827
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$22,583
Earnings (5yr)
$149,127
Lifetime Value Added
+$592k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$25,002
Earnings (5yr)
$143,143
Lifetime Value Added
+$548k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$20,889
Earnings (5yr)
$75,101
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$95,088
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$98,280
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$24,583
Earnings (5yr)
$103,304
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$53,709
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$24,375
Earnings (5yr)
$88,905
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,358
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,223
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$60,248
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Industrial Engineering
BachCIP: 1435
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$110,414
Lifetime Value Added
+$306k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (5yr)
$111,223
Lifetime Value Added
+$312k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$78,837
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$24,005
Earnings (5yr)
$62,784
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (5yr)
$98,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$25,547
Earnings (5yr)
$104,723
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$61,223
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$22,973
Earnings (5yr)
$65,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$76,104
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$26,797
Earnings (2yr)
$74,200
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$21,625
Earnings (5yr)
$77,836
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$90,411
Lifetime Value Added
+$156k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$64,262
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,603
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$40,500
Earnings (5yr)
$115,435
Lifetime Value Added
+$513k
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology
MastCIP: 2611
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Biotechnology
MastCIP: 2612
Median Debt
$35,470
Earnings (5yr)
$156,570
Lifetime Value Added
+$862k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$34,778
Earnings (5yr)
$92,598
Lifetime Value Added
+$317k
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$47,834
Earnings (5yr)
$145,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$767k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$119,157
Lifetime Value Added
+$544k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$101,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$394k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,766
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,181
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,791
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (2yr)
$86,867
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$36,259
Earnings (5yr)
$87,357
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$30,029
Earnings (5yr)
$69,206
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$97,071
Lifetime Value Added
+$406k
Engineering, General
MastCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$133,840
Lifetime Value Added
+$669k
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$36,150
Earnings (5yr)
$138,446
Lifetime Value Added
+$708k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$37,375
Earnings (5yr)
$63,958
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$35,875
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Information Science/Studies
MastCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$139,677
Lifetime Value Added
+$718k
International/Global Studies
MastCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$38,158
Earnings (5yr)
$95,765
Lifetime Value Added
+$344k
Law
MastCIP: 2201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
MastCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$38,957
Earnings (5yr)
$118,016
Lifetime Value Added
+$535k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$106,720
Lifetime Value Added
+$438k
Medical Illustration and Informatics
MastCIP: 5127
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$112,151
Lifetime Value Added
+$485k
Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
MastCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$29,042
Earnings (5yr)
$157,580
Lifetime Value Added
+$870k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$87,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Public Policy Analysis
MastCIP: 4405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,178
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$57,068
Earnings (5yr)
$142,854
Lifetime Value Added
+$745k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,708
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$149,550
Lifetime Value Added
+$802k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Graduate Certificates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Gr-CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,273
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Gr-CertCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$79,331
Earnings (5yr)
$66,006
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Gr-CertCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$88,195
Lifetime Value Added
+$430k
Professional Degrees
Architecture
ProfCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,840
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Education, General
ProfCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$57,003
Earnings (5yr)
$105,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$70,571
Earnings (5yr)
$99,534
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$37,167
Earnings (5yr)
$147,061
Lifetime Value Added
+$521k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
ProfCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$147,886
Lifetime Value Added
+$527k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
ProfCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$41,651
Earnings (5yr)
$86,045
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.