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The Upshot
- School type
- Highly selective private
- Class size*
- 2,959
- Athletic Conference
- Colonial Athletic Association
- Note: because of the way some colleges report tax data, this page includes data from 0 colleges. A full list is below.
Economic diversity and student outcomes at
Boston, Massachusetts
The median family income of a student from Northeastern is $150,900, and 65% come from the top 20 percent. About 2.4% of students at Northeastern came from a poor family but became a rich adult.
A new study, based on millions of anonymous tax records, shows that some colleges are even more economically segregated than previously understood, while others are associated with income mobility.
Below, estimates of how Northeastern compares with its peer schools in economic diversity and student outcomes.
AccessWhat kind of students attend Northeastern
Among the lowest About typical Among the highest
| In the C.A.A. | In Massachusetts | Among Highly selective private colleges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median family income | $150,900 | |||
| Average income percentile | 79th | |||
| Share of students from top 0.1% | <1% | |||
| ...from top 1% | 5.9% | |||
| ...from top 5% | 29% | |||
| ...from top 10% | 48% | |||
| ...from top 20% | 65% | |||
| ...from bottom 20% | 3.7% |
OutcomesHow Northeastern students fare later in life
Among the lowest About typical Among the highest
| In the C.A.A. | In Massachusetts | Among Highly selective private colleges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median individual income at age 34 | $61,800 | |||
| ...for men | $71,300 | |||
| ...for women | $54,800 | |||
| Average income percentile | 73rd | |||
| Share who end up in the top 1% | 3.6% | |||
| ...in the top 5% | 20% | |||
| ...in the top 10% | 36% | |||
| ...in the top 20% | 56% | |||
| ...in the bottom 20% | 7.4% | |||
| Avg. income percentile of a poor student | 67th | |||
| ...of a rich student | 74th | |||
| Pct. married in 2014 | 54% |
MobilityShare of students at Northeastern who ...
Among the lowest About typical Among the highest
| In the C.A.A. | In Massachusetts | Among Highly selective private colleges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moved up two or more income quintiles | 19% | |||
| Moved from the bottom to top income quintile | 2.4% |
College by collegeComparing Northeastern with its peers
Median parent income
For students born in 1991, approximately the class of 2013, in 2015 dollars.
24th out of 71 Highly selective private colleges
No data available for Northeastern.
No. 4
Skidmore
$208,700
No. 5
Elon
$208,300
No. 6
Southern Methodist
$198,900
No. 7
Santa Clara
$193,100
No. 8
Muhlenberg
$188,300
No. 9
Texas Christian
$187,300
No. 10
Furman
$181,500
No. 11
University of the South
$178,200
No. 12
Loyola Maryland
$177,700
No. 13
Dickinson
$176,200
No. 14
Trinity University
$174,000
No. 15
Gettysburg
$163,600
No. 16
Rhodes
$163,200
No. 17
Providence
$162,400
No. 18
Denison
$160,400
No. 19
University of San Diego
$158,600
No. 20
American
$155,300
No. 21
Gonzaga
$152,800
No. 22
Union College (N.Y.)
$152,600
No. 23
Fordham
$151,800
No. 24
Northeastern
$150,900
No. 25
Chapman
$149,800
No. 26
Marquette
$148,200
No. 27
Quinnipiac
$147,900
No. 27
Emerson
$147,900
No. 29
Wofford
$146,200
No. 30
Bentley
$145,000
No. 31
Wheaton (Ill.)
$144,200
No. 32
Boston University
$141,000
No. 33
Saint Olaf
$140,400
No. 34
Puget Sound
$138,500
No. 35
Sarah Lawrence
$137,000
No. 36
Kalamazoo
$136,600
No. 37
Westmont
$136,100
No. 38
Bard
$134,400
No. 39
St. Lawrence
$133,900
No. 40
Illinois Wesleyan
$132,600
No. 41
Centre College of Kentucky
$130,700
No. 41
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
$130,700
No. 43
Pepperdine
$128,700
Highest
Colorado College $277,500
Lowest (No. 71)
Agnes Scott $63,600
Compare to:
Chance a poor student has to become a rich adult
The share of children who were from the bottom fifth of incomes as students and moved to the top fifth as adults.
18th out of 71 Highly selective private colleges
No data available for Northeastern.
No. 1
Kettering
75%
No. 2
Babson
68%
No. 3
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
68%
No. 4
Stevens
62%
No. 5
Santa Clara
62%
No. 6
Bentley
61%
No. 7
Illinois Institute of Technology
61%
No. 8
Rhodes
58%
No. 9
Trinity College (Conn.)
55%
No. 10
Dickinson
54%
No. 11
Illinois Wesleyan
54%
No. 12
Fordham
52%
No. 13
Syracuse
52%
No. 14
Boston University
50%
No. 15
Milwaukee School of Engineering
50%
No. 16
Quinnipiac
49%
No. 17
Trinity University
48%
No. 18
Northeastern
47%
No. 19
Augustana (Ill.)
47%
No. 20
University of San Diego
47%
No. 21
Muhlenberg
47%
No. 22
Providence
46%
No. 23
Union College (N.Y.)
45%
No. 24
Skidmore
44%
No. 25
Gettysburg
44%
No. 26
Mount Holyoke
43%
No. 27
Pepperdine
43%
No. 28
Clark
42%
No. 29
Saint Olaf
42%
No. 30
Marquette
42%
No. 31
Grinnell
41%
No. 32
Kalamazoo
41%
No. 33
Loyola Maryland
40%
No. 34
Southern Methodist
40%
No. 35
Austin
40%
No. 36
Colorado College
38%
No. 37
Loyola Chicago
38%
Highest
Kettering 75%
Lowest (No. 71)
Bennington 10%
Median student income at age 34
Incomes continue to grow, but the relative ranks remain roughly stable after this age.
15th out of 71 Highly selective private colleges
No data available for Northeastern.
No. 1
Babson
$95,300
No. 2
Stevens
$92,100
No. 3
Kettering
$85,400
No. 4
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
$85,200
No. 5
Bentley
$79,800
No. 6
Milwaukee School of Engineering
$72,700
No. 7
Santa Clara
$72,500
No. 8
Illinois Institute of Technology
$72,300
No. 9
Loyola Maryland
$69,800
No. 10
Trinity College (Conn.)
$67,300
No. 11
Union College (N.Y.)
$66,600
No. 12
Providence
$66,300
No. 13
Fordham
$63,300
No. 14
Boston University
$62,000
No. 15
Northeastern
$61,800
No. 16
University of San Diego
$61,200
No. 17
Syracuse
$61,100
No. 18
Marquette
$60,100
No. 18
Muhlenberg
$60,100
No. 20
Quinnipiac
$60,000
No. 21
American
$59,100
No. 22
Gettysburg
$58,800
No. 23
Trinity University
$58,100
No. 24
Illinois Wesleyan
$58,000
No. 25
Pepperdine
$55,800
No. 26
Southern Methodist
$55,400
No. 27
Dickinson
$55,100
No. 27
Wofford
$55,100
No. 29
Gonzaga
$54,900
No. 30
Augustana (Ill.)
$53,700
No. 30
Denison
$53,700
No. 30
Kalamazoo
$53,700
No. 33
Loyola Chicago
$53,500
No. 34
Gustavus Adolphus
$53,100
Highest
Babson $95,300
Lowest (No. 71)
Bennington $19,700
Overall mobility index
This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at Northeastern moved up two or more income quintiles.
7th out of 71 Highly selective private colleges
No data available for Northeastern.
No. 1
Stevens
29%
No. 2
Illinois Institute of Technology
25%
No. 3
Milwaukee School of Engineering
24%
No. 4
Kettering
24%
No. 5
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
20%
No. 6
Loyola Chicago
20%
No. 7
Northeastern
19%
No. 8
Fordham
19%
No. 9
Bentley
19%
No. 10
Tulsa
18%
No. 11
Syracuse
17%
No. 12
Clark
17%
No. 13
Austin
17%
No. 14
Babson
16%
No. 15
Boston University
15%
No. 16
Pepperdine
15%
No. 17
Mount Holyoke
15%
No. 18
St. Lawrence
15%
No. 19
University of San Diego
15%
No. 20
Chapman
15%
No. 21
Loyola New Orleans
15%
No. 22
Union College (N.Y.)
14%
No. 23
Rollins
14%
No. 24
St. John's College
14%
No. 25
Agnes Scott
14%
No. 26
Hendrix
14%
Highest
Stevens 29%
Lowest (No. 71)
Sarah Lawrence 6.3%
Married in 2014
For students born between 1980-82, roughly the college class of 2002.
50th out of 71 Highly selective private colleges
No data available for Northeastern.
No. 30
Santa Clara
61%
No. 31
University of San Diego
61%
No. 32
Dickinson
61%
No. 33
Kalamazoo
60%
No. 34
Tulsa
60%
No. 35
Illinois Institute of Technology
60%
No. 36
Denison
59%
No. 37
Stevens
59%
No. 38
Southern Methodist
59%
No. 39
Pepperdine
59%
No. 40
Lawrence University of Wisconsin
59%
No. 41
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
57%
No. 42
St. Lawrence
57%
No. 43
Puget Sound
57%
No. 44
Chapman
56%
No. 45
Knox
56%
No. 46
Colorado College
56%
No. 47
Syracuse
55%
No. 48
Loyola Chicago
54%
No. 49
Wheaton (Mass.)
54%
No. 50
Northeastern
54%
No. 51
Rollins
54%
No. 52
Boston University
53%
No. 53
Grinnell
52%
No. 54
Hendrix
52%
No. 55
American
52%
No. 56
Clark
51%
No. 57
Skidmore
51%
No. 58
Fordham
51%
No. 59
Smith College
50%
No. 60
Mount Holyoke
50%
No. 61
Loyola New Orleans
49%
No. 62
Agnes Scott
49%
No. 63
Trinity College (Conn.)
48%
No. 64
Pitzer
48%
No. 65
Beloit
48%
No. 66
St. John's College
47%
No. 67
Emerson
44%
No. 68
Hampshire
38%
No. 69
Bennington
38%
Highest
Wheaton (Ill.) 74%
Lowest (No. 71)
Sarah Lawrence 36%
Family income vs. student income at age 34
The chart below shows how Northeastern and its peer schools are comparing with the remaining schools analyzed in the study. You can click on any point in the chart to navigate to that school.
How access at Northeastern has changed
Peer schools are shown in yellow
Students from...
Bottom 60%
Top 20%
Top 10%
Top 1%
Note: Northeastern University includes data for the following colleges:
The estimates presented here are based on millions of anonymous tax filings and tuition records. These statistics cover only schools that participate in Title IV federal funding, which excludes the military academies and certain other colleges.
Measures of access are for students born in 1991, roughly the class of 2013; measures of outcomes and mobility are for students born between 1980 and 1982, who are around age 35, when relative income ranks stabilizes.
Class size figures represent the number of students in the study who were born in 1991: approximately the class of 2013 or today's 25-year-olds. This measure does not include international students or students who could not be linked to their parents' tax returns.
The athletic conferences listed here are meant to be a helpful way to compare colleges with their peers. They are incomplete for some conferences. Only one conference is displayed for each college.
Source: “Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility”, by Raj Chetty, John Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner and Danny Yagan, The Equality of Opportunity Project
