{"id":91032,"date":"2026-02-28T18:01:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/why-northeastern-applications-numbers-have-surged-again\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T18:01:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:01:37","slug":"why-northeastern-applications-numbers-have-surged-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/why-northeastern-applications-numbers-have-surged-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Northeastern Applications Numbers Have Surged Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Aiden Tran stepped foot on Northeastern University\u2019s Boston campus in January 2025, it was for his first college tour. As soon as he saw the cutting-edge, ridged solar shielding of its Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, he felt like he was in the \u201cbig leagues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the tour went on and he learned more about Northeastern\u2019s leadership in experiential learning and career outcomes for students, Tran realized his college search was over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought, \u2018What school will help my career out more toward the future?\u2019\u201d Tran, 17, said. \u201cI thought to myself for a while, and I said, \u2018Northeastern.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Tran, who was accepted to Northeastern and will start in fall 2026, is far from alone. Applications for Northeastern rose to a record high of 106,907 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Year after year, students, parents and high school guidance counselors said they are increasingly excited about what the university has to offer.<\/p>\n

They all cited the university\u2019s combination of academic rigor, experiential learning and research opportunities spread across a network of campuses that spans countries and even continents.<\/p>\n

Most of all, students and their parents are invested in Northeastern because they view it as precisely that, an investment that pays big dividends for their future, university officials said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNortheastern\u2019s message has been very clear in the marketplace \u2013\u2013 the value derived from our focus on a personalized experiential education through global experiences, coupled with outstanding academics and research, is unparalleled in higher education,\u201d said Satyajit Dattagupta, Northeastern\u2019s head of global expansion and chief enrollment management officer. \u201cThis is why we remain a top choice of students and families from all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students and parents continue to cite the return on investment that Northeastern University\u2019s co-op program, academics and global experiences bring, said Satyajit Dattagupta, Northeastern\u2019s head of global expansion and chief enrollment management officer. Photo by Matthew Modoono\/Northeastern University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The highest number of domestic applicants this year came from New York, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, and Texas. Internationally, applicants from China, India, South Korea, Canada, and Brazil top the list.<\/p>\n

Northeastern\u2019s co-op program and emphasis on experiential learning is the single biggest draw, according to the prospective students who spoke with NGN.<\/p>\n

For Tran, who will arrive at Northeastern in the fall as a mechanical engineering student, the experience he hopes to gain off campus will be just as important as what he learns in the classroom, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to do co-op during my sophomore or junior year, most likely, that hands-on experience is so valuable just overall for working on your skills, your overall confidence, honestly,\u201d Tran said.<\/p>\n

Northeastern partners with 4,661 employers and students participate in co-op and experiential learning programs in 151 countries, and on all continents. Between co-op, research and experiential learning opportunities that are integrated into their coursework, Northeastern students graduate with up to 18 months of professional experience that sets them up for success after graduation.<\/p>\n

For the parents of prospective students, co-ops come with the promise that their children will have a leg up when they enter the working world after graduation.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me as a parent, certainly you cannot divorce yourself from the realities of the job market right now,\u201d said Ami Schmitz, the parent of incoming Northeastern student Peyton Levine. \u201cI\u2019m about to launch my kid into who knows what career path, so I wanted to make sure she had every competitive advantage that she could have.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the university\u2019s most recent data, 96% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within nine months of graduating from Northeastern. Out of those who are fully employed, 93% have jobs that are related to their major. More than half of graduating students get full-time job offers upon graduation from one of their co-op employers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy students want four years of fun, but they also want a return for their investment,\u201d said Linda Dwyer, a guidance counselor for Miami Palmetto Senior High School. \u201cNortheastern provides that without a doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the co-op program, the university\u2019s academic rigor and innovative research are foundational for its reputation, students and parents said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"A
10\/09\/25 \u2013 Nahant, MA. \u2013 Northeastern grad student Hannah Bray collects water samples in Nahant to identify sources of bacteria that degrade water quality at Nahant Long Beach on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Photo by Alyssa Stone\/Northeastern University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Three
Angela Jones, center, a Ph.D. candidate in marine and environmental science at Northeastern, and Mica Weld, right, lead graduate researcher, head down to Nahant Beach to snorkel at Northeastern\u2019s Marine Science Center while Andrew Robertson, left, a recent master\u2019s in environmental science and policy graduate, collects mussels to feed sea stars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
11\/01\/24 \u2013 OAKLAND, CA: Students work during a class in The Makerspace at Northeastern\u2019s Oakland campus on Nov. 01, 2024 in Oakland, California. Photo by Ruby Wallau for Northeastern University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Two
04\/08\/24 \u2013 London, UK \u2013 Campus features at Northeastern\u2019s Devon House on Monday, April 8, 2024. Photo by Carmen Valino for Northeastern University<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Northeastern University\u2019s network of 14 global campuses that offers students an opportunity to engage with the university and the world through a number of different pathways is a massive draw for incoming students, according to guidance counselors. Photos by Alyssa Stone\/Northeastern University, Ruby Wallau and Carmen Valino for Northeastern University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Nancy Hernandez, the biggest draw is that Northeastern has programs that are a match made in heaven for both of her children.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her son, Gregorio, will soon graduate this spring, while her daughter, Rachael, is about to begin her Northeastern journey. Rachael\u2019s dual interest in Spanish and physical therapy was matched by a double major at Northeastern. The program comes with hands-on experiential opportunities that elevate the academic offerings, Hernandez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat curriculum is really thought through, where she would have to spend a semester in a Spanish-speaking country for that degree,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cThat\u2019s the best of all worlds for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Northeastern\u2019s global campus network and array of international learning experiences also help it stand apart for students like Isaac Lowry, 17, a wanderlust-filled incoming business administration student from Puerto Rico.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lowry was accepted to Northeastern as part of the N.U.in program<\/a>, which allows students to study abroad for their first fall semester before coming to Northeastern\u2019s Boston campus in January.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to explore outside in the world, how it was in Italy, maybe even go to Switzerland for a weekend and Germany,\u201d Lowry said. \u201cI just want to see everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The university\u2019s global network of 14 campuses has also given students multiple pathways into Northeastern. Undergraduate students can study in Boston, Oakland, New York, and London, with graduate-level programs available in Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Charlotte, Miami, Silicon Valley, Arlington, Virginia, Portland, Maine, and Nahant and Burlington, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

For Nikki Desgrosellier, the dean of college and career counseling at UIC College Prep, a Chicago charter high school, Northeastern\u2019s relatively smaller Oakland and London campuses provide opportunities for students who want a more \u201cintimate onboarding\u201d to the Northeastern experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur school is only 950 kids approximately, so a lot of them are actually more successful if they start at a smaller institution where they\u2019re well known, they\u2019ll know their professors and build relationships with other students that are a little bit easier to form in a small setting,\u201d Desgrosellier said.<\/p>\n

That level of personalization and care extends from the admissions process to onboarding at Northeastern, regardless of what pathway students take, some parents said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNortheastern, it felt like they really understood who Peyton is and what she wants to become,\u201d Schmitz said of her daughter\u2019s experience. \u201cThat really, as a parent, gave me a lot of confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n