Cost, debt & salary

Is Northeastern University worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $24,250 — about $276 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $92,538 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 0.5 years of the salary premium.

A

Is it worth the money?

Yes — on the federal figures this is one of the fastest-paying degrees in the country.

You borrow $24,250 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $276/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $92,538 median, 10 years after entry · beats 96%
Debt clears in 0.5 yrs ranked 75 of 813

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$7,712
Loan repayment
$276
Share of your pay
3.6%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

Every dollar you win is a dollar you never repay — and it moves the 0.5-year payback above. We list 1 scholarship tied to Northeastern University.

See all 1 Northeastern University scholarships →

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How Northeastern University compares Against the 813 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,165 against $22,500 of debt. Northeastern University clears its debt faster than that, and its graduates earn $53,018 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts A $27,000 $103,470 0.4 yrs
Boston University Massachusetts A $23,250 $83,238 0.5 yrs
College of the Holy Cross Massachusetts A $27,000 $90,543 0.5 yrs
Tufts University Massachusetts A $16,250 $83,214 0.4 yrs
Amherst College Massachusetts A $13,740 $77,644 0.4 yrs

Northeastern University — the money questions

How much do graduates of Northeastern University earn?
Median earnings are $92,538 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 96% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at Northeastern University?
The median graduate leaves with $24,250 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $276 a month — roughly 3.6% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from Northeastern University take to pay for itself?
About 0.5 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 75 of 813 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
Yes — we list 1 scholarship tied to Northeastern University. Each award you win comes straight off the borrowing above, and the payback figure falls with it.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at Northeastern University all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.