It’s a shrewd investment in valuable land in desirable cities. Think McDonald’s - it’s the land. An added benefit is a ready made group of transfer students to keep the mothership campus in Boston full in upper years, even if students leave.
agreed that many schools give ED advantage and take a large % ED.
Though at my kids’ school, none applied ED and they still get in at crazy high numbers (don’t know split of campuses to which they are admitted), Students ARE high % full pay and school is VERY high rigor and school has a decent yield to the Boston campus (none have gone to NUin or London/Oakland etc, at least few years so many are getting in to Boston, not others).
Anyway, great school, great education; I know many alums who loved it…. but it is very sneaky record-keeping in my book and they have more than typical preference for full-pay for their level. My two cents, which means nothing to anyone . That said, they probably need to do all this to balance the books and stay healthy for long-term so likely wise..
I work in a field where I routinely see the career benefit of attending a highly selective university. I have never, not a single time, seen that benefit for a Northeastern graduate.
Did you know that in 1973, NYU nearly collapsed financially? Running deficits since 1964, the university sold its entire 50-acre Bronx campus to CUNY in order to remain solvent. Today, it’s hard to imagine—but one of the nation’s most respected universities almost didn’t make it.
Northeastern also faced a defining moment. In 1990, after a significant enrollment decline, the university faced a budget deficit exceeding $17 million. Under President Jack Curry’s leadership, Northeastern adopted a “smaller and better” strategy that fundamentally reshaped the university. Like NYU before it, Northeastern had to rethink its model to attract students and, in many ways, rethink its future.
The strategy wasn’t simply about becoming smaller. It was about strengthening academic programs. It was about improving the student experience and positioning Northeastern for long-term success in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape. Those decisions continue to shape Northeastern today.
The university now offers students a truly global educational experience through four comprehensive undergraduate campuses in Boston, Oakland, London, and New York City. Many students even begin their Northeastern journey overseas through the university’s London campus or through N.U.in at one of eight international partner locations before continuing their studies at a Northeastern campus. Through campus mobility, students can experience different campuses, cities, countries, cultures, and the unique industries that define each region. In many ways, the university didn’t just reinvent itself—it reimagined what higher education could become.
Today, Northeastern is the second most-applied-to private university in the United States, second only to NYU.
It is very recent to me, but I’d say in the last 10-15 years, their “brand awareness” seems to have increased. Not always for great reasons, like in certain circles they are commonly cited as having gamed rankings. But hey, even those people are still talking about their rankings . . . .
No matter the perception of some or the attention, it’s clearly paid off - kids are dying to get in, families are often listing it vs. elite schools in the consideration set, and clearly business is booming.
. That said, they probably need to do all this to balance the books and stay healthy for long-term so likely wise..