Test-optionalED + EA

Northeastern University

MA · Private · Northeast · National university · Top 50 tier · 22,589 undergraduates (large)

Admission rates

Latest admit rates

Overall admit rate5.2%
ED rate43%1,492 of 3,466
Regular round (est.)†3.8%includes Early Action

How much of the class comes from ED

~54% of enrolled freshmen were admitted through Early Decision.

This is a share of the freshman class, not an admit rate.

† Regular round (est.) = (all admitted students − Early Decision admits) ÷ (all applicants − Early Decision applicants). It also includes Early Action, because the Common Data Set does not report Early Action counts.

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Admission rates

OverallEarly Decision
0%30%60%'19'20'21'22'23'2418.1%20.5%18.4%6.8%5.6%5.2%37.2%37.7%51.2%32.9%38.7%43.0%

Early plans

Fall 2027 applicants

Early Decision I & II (binding) + Early Action (non-binding) · as reported in the Common Data SetWhat this means:
Early Decision (Common Data Set)ED I (Nov 1) and ED II (Jan 1)
Early Action (Common Data Set)Non-restrictive EA (Nov 1, notified Feb 15)

Testing

Testing policy

Fall 2027
Test-optionalSchool testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026
Fall 2028
Fall 2028 policy not yet announced.School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026

Superscoring

What this means:

SAT
Superscores
ACT
Superscores

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Test-optional for fall 2027 entry.

How to send scores

Self-report accepted; official scores only after admission/enrollment

School’s words: “Remember—if you are admitted and decide to enroll, you'll be required to submit the official scores directly from the testing agency next summer.”

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Students submitting scores

Est. % submitting scores‡31%SAT 24% + ACT 7%

‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.

Submitted SAT24%
653 students
Submitted ACT7%
203 students

Score ranges (middle 50%)

Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2024. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.

SAT composite
1450–1520 median 1490
10001600
SAT Reading & Writing
710–760 median 730
500800
SAT Math
730–780 median 760
500800
ACT composite
33–35 median 34
2036

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Share of enrolled students submitting scores

SAT + ACT (est.)SATACT
0%50%100%'19'20'21'22'23'2486.0%85.0%42.0%44.0%35.0%31.0%55.0%54.0%28.0%33.0%27.0%24.0%31.0%31.0%14.0%11.0%8.0%7.0%

SAT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
160015001400'19'20'21'22'23'24no data1430–1540154014301440–1530153014401450–1535153514501460–1530153014601450–152015201450

ACT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
36343230'19'20'21'22'23'2432–35353233–35353333–35353333–35353333–35353333–353533

Waitlist admit rate

Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.

Test policy in each Common Data Set

History only. The current policy is under Testing above.

  1. Fall 2027 Not reported2025-26 CDS
  2. Fall 2026 Test-optional2024-25 CDS
  3. Fall 2025 Test-optional2023-24 CDS
  4. Fall 2024 Test-optional2022-23 CDS
  5. Fall 2023 Test-optional2021-22 CDS
  6. Fall 2022 Test-optional2020-21 CDS
  7. Fall 2021 Not reported2019-20 CDSThis form’s own wording says Fall 2019; every CDS here is read as covering the fall two years after its first year.

Notes

Sources