Northeastern University Ranking

Northeastern University is a mid-level institution, ranking in the 350-400 range in QS and 200-250 range in THE. The University offers programs in engineering, business, humanities, and health sciences, catering to various career paths.

Its QS World Rankings and THE Rankings have remained stable in the 350-400 and 200-250 bands, respectively, over the past two years. The U.S. News rankings have shown a consistent performance, maintaining a range of 40-60 range.

Northeastern University World Rankings 2024-25

Northeastern University’s rankings in QS, U.S. News, and THE indicate its innovative teaching methods and experiential learning opportunities, suitable for students seeking career-oriented education.

Here’s how Northeastern University has performed over the years in various rankings.

The changing trends in the rankings of the Northeastern University can be represented through the following graph:

Northeastern University’s global rankings have witnessed minor declines across major agencies. In the QS World University Rankings, it dropped from #375 in 2024 to #396 in 2025. This reflects the University’s poor performance in indicators like academic reputation.

Times Higher Education (THE) rankings have remained stable in the 201-250 range (2024, 2025) after a significant fall from #168 in 2023. However, its inability to improve its ranking indicates a challenge in regaining its previous reputation.

US News & World Report shows a slight dip from #53 in 2024 to #54 in 2025, following a bigger drop from #44 in 2023.

Despite these changes, Northeastern maintains a good global and national presence, making it a competitive choice for students.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the performance of various subjects across different rankings.

Subject-Wise Ranking of Northeastern University 

University rankings provide insight into the quality and reputation of specific academic programs. Subject-wise rankings, such as those for engineering or business, help students make informed decisions based on their field of interest. 

Northeastern University programs like engineering (#38) and law (#68) are considered competitive, according to the U.S. News rankings. Some programs like business (#82) have room for improvement.

Here's a breakdown of Northeastern University’s subject rankings across three major ranking systems.

QS Rankings

QS world rankings consider criteria such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, research impact, and international diversity. 

The QS rankings reflect Northeastern’s strengths in business and engineering, with business ranked in the top 30 globally. Here’s the ranking of various subjects based on QS ranking.

THE Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) world university rankings are based on criteria like teaching quality, research influence, international outlook, and industry income. 

The ranking under THE reflects Northeastern University's achievements in Law (#90). Programs like business and engineering have scope for improvement.  Here’s how different subjects at Northeastern University rank based on THE rankings.

U.S. News Rankings

The U.S. New ranking shows Northeastern University in the #54 positions nationally. Its programs like medicine (#18), law (#68), and humanities (#46) rank in the top 50 in the country. 

Criteria such as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, and research output help in deciding the U.S. News rankings.

Here’s how different subjects at Northeastern University rank based on U.S. News rankings.

The ranking of Northeastern University’s subjects reflects the quality of specific fields, helping students choose colleges based on their desired area of study. Now, let’s explore other rankings beyond those mentioned above.

Miscellaneous Ranking 2025

In addition to traditional sources like QS Rankings, platforms such as Forbes America's Top Colleges can be used to track university performance.

Here’s the performance of Northeastern University in different rankings.

Based on the 2025 rankings, the university’s performance is mixed. It ranks #251 in the Studyportals University Meta Ranking, suggesting it lags behind many global peers in terms of overall performance. 

In Forbes America's Top Colleges, the university fares comparatively better with a rank of #73, indicating a moderate return on investment in terms of alumni success. 

However, in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), the university performs poorly, with a rank of #201-300. This shows its struggles in research output, faculty quality, and academic achievements compared to leading global institutions.

Now, let’s focus on Northeastern University's academic and extracurricular achievements.

Northeastern University: Excellence and Achievements

Apart from academic excellence, Northeastern University offers diverse student organizations, cultural events, and global engagement opportunities.

Here’s a breakdown of Northeastern University's achievements.

Academic Excellence and National Recognition

Academic honors like the Huntington Award, Experiential Learning Award, and Compass Award highlight the university's focus on student achievement and their ability to apply knowledge effectively.

Here’s a look at its academic achievements.

Community and Lifestyle Recognitions

Northeastern University invests in community development initiatives, such as transforming public places and offering scholarships, as part of its community engagement efforts.

Here are the contributions of Northeastern University to community development:

• Transforming the Columbus Avenue Corridor: Northeastern University has invested more than USD 500 million to transform the Columbus Avenue Corridor.
• Full–tuition scholarships: Northeastern invests USD 13.5 million in full–tuition scholarships for Boston Public Schools students and other Boston–area residents.
• Community Service: The university students have contributed an estimated USD 8 million over 280,000 service hours through community service programs.

Cultural and Creative Excellence

Cultural activities at Northeastern University focus on celebrating inclusivity and diversity. Events like Halloween and pride parades create a sense of belonging for students from marginalized groups, creating an environment where all students feel valued.

Here are the cultural achievements at Northeastern University.

Now, let’s explore how rankings and acceptance rates are interrelated.

Northeastern University: Ranking V/S Acceptance Rate

Northeastern University has a low acceptance rate of 5.65% despite not being part of the Ivy League like Harvard. This low acceptance rate is largely due to competitive programs, such as Business, which is ranked within the top 50 in the QS World Rankings 2025.

After checking out the variation in acceptance rates of Northeastern University for different programs, let’s explore the ranking methodologies in detail.

Ranking Methodologies

QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and U.S. News & World Report are the leading university ranking systems that have become benchmarks for assessing university performance. Each ranking focuses on aspects such as academic reputation, research quality, and global outlook to gauge the performance of universities.

Here’s a detailed look at the criteria used for ranking universities.

QS World University Rankings

The QS world ranking emphasizes employer reputation and academic outcomes, obtained from surveys of thousands of academic experts and employers worldwide. It also gives importance to faculty research and international student admissions.

Here are the criteria used in QS World University Rankings.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings focus on research influence, teaching reputation, and staff-to-student ratio. It also emphasizes international diversity and industry income, assessing how well universities collaborate with industries and global academic networks.

Here are the criteria used by THE rankings.

U.S. News and World Report Rankings

This indicator uses special criteria like first-year retention rates, graduation rates, and student-faculty ratio. Other criteria like borrower debt and financial resources measure how well universities support low-income students. 

Here are the criteria used in U.S. News and World Report Rankings

The above rankings reflect how well a university is positioned to offer quality education and outcomes to students, using indicators like employability and industry applications.

Now, let’s explore how upGrad can help you in studying at Northeastern University.

How Will upGrad Help You?

upGrad helps students and professionals enhance their academic knowledge and career growth through expert mentorship, industry-relevant courses, and flexible learning. 

With bridge courses focusing on foundational knowledge, you can transition to specialization in fields like AI, machine learning, and data science. 

Additionally, the study abroad program offered by upGrad provides students with the following benefits:

• Expert Mentorship: Guidance from industry professionals and academic experts who provide personalized insights to help you succeed in your field.
• Industry-Relevant Courses: Learn practical, real-world skills through up-to-date courses designed to meet the needs of today's industry trends.
• Flexible Learning Options: Online courses and flexible schedules allow you to balance your education with other commitments.
• Career Support: Receive career coaching, job placement assistance, and networking opportunities to help you land your desired role.

Here are some study abroad opportunities offered by upGrad at Northeastern University:

• MS in Project Management (USA) at Northeastern University
• BS Analytics at Northeastern University
• MS in Organizational Leadership at Northeastern University

Conclusion 

Northeastern University has ranked in the 350-400 band in QS and 200-250 band in THE. However, its rankings have not improved over the past three years, indicating its steady global performance. 

While it has a moderate position in U.S. News national rankings (54), improvements in overall rankings would strengthen its global standing. With programs like Business (#29 in QS rankings) and Law (#90 in THE rankings), Northeastern University has demonstrated a strong reputation in these fields.

When selecting a college or program, it's crucial to focus on specific program rankings. Given its current performance, Northeastern has to improve in the next ranking cycle, particularly for programs like business, to make a strong impression on students.

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