2022-23 Northeastern Transfer Acceptance Rate, Requirements, and Application Deadline

Just a generation ago, Northeastern accepted the vast majority of quality applicants they received. Last year, they took under 7%. There aren’t many schools that have skyrocketed in selectivity in such a short period of time. If attending Northeastern is your dream, but you didn’t make it through this brutal admission gauntlet the first time, there is still hope. In fact, you have a much better chance to gain acceptance to NU as a transfer applicant than you did as a first-year applicant. This blog will share the Northeastern transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the Northeastern transfer deadline, the requirements/checklist for applicants, the Northeastern transfer decision date and much more.

Northeastern Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available Northeastern transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2021, there were 3,248 transfer applicants and 662 individuals were accepted. This means that the Northeastern transfer acceptance rate is 20.4%. If we break this down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

• Male transfer applicants: 21.8%
• Female transfer applicants: 19.1%

When trying to get the complete picture on how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to also look at historical data. Many schools have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rate from year to year. Northeastern qualifies as one such school. As you can see, the Northeastern transfer acceptance rate has swung between 16% and 48% over the last five years.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Northeastern Transfer Deadline

The university offers only a fall transfer option this cycle. The application is available on January 5 and is due by April 1.

Northeastern Transfer Requirements

The Northeastern transfer requirements are as follows:

• Completed Common App for Transfer
• Final high school transcripts
• Official college transcripts
• SAT or ACT scores (optional in 2023)
• College Report
• Mid-Term Report is strongly recommended
• One letter of recommendation
• Supplemental materials or auditions for certain programs.
• Current Year Courses. This can be on your official transcript or you can send a PDF screenshot of your current college courses.

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to Northeastern have done the following:

• Have completed at least 12 semester credit hours.
• Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
• Have strong SAT/ACT and AP/IB results (even in a test-optional time)
• Completed program-specific prerequisite coursework at your current school.

Recommended/Required Courses for NU Transfer

Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Health Science

• College Writing
• Biology I & II with labs
• Chemistry I & II with labs
• Calculus or higher
• Foundations of Psychology

School of Nursing*

• College Writing  (rec)
• Anatomy & Physiology I & II with labs (rec)
• Chemistry with lab (rec)
• Microbiology with lab (rec)
• Foundations of Psychology (rec)
• Nutrition (rec)
• Mathematical Thinking (rec)

*Please note that Nursing students must complete all recommended coursework in order to progress into year 2 of the program’s course sequence

Arts, Media and Design

• College Writing
• Mathematical Thinking or Calculus
• Foreign Language (BA students only)

College of Engineering

• Calculus I (required – level should be for Engineering/Science majors)
• Physics I (rec – level should be calculus based)
• Chemistry I (rec) 
• College Writing

Social Sciences and Humanities

• College Writing
• Mathematical Thinking or Calculus
• Foreign Language (BA students only)

College of Science

• College Writing
• Calculus or higher
• Natural Science with lab

D’Amore-McKim School of Business

• Calculus at the college level (rec)
• Macroeconomics (BSBA only, rec)
• Language (Intermediate level strongly recommended for BSIB)
• College Writing
• Business Statistics
• Microeconomics

Khoury College of Computer Sciences

• Calculus 1 (Required)
• College Writing
• Natural Science with lab

Northeastern Transfer GPA

Northeastern does not have an official minimum GPA that makes you eligible to apply. However, based on our experience counseling successful NU transfers, having at least a 3.5 GPA will give you the best odds. A 3.75 or better will certainly improve your chances. A few years ago, the school published data that the average GPA for accepted students was 3.6.

According to the admissions committee “We review all applications holistically and are looking for students who are the best fit for Northeastern. We look closely at the student’s academic coursework and grades, along with extracurricular involvement, including work, clubs, community service, and internships. We value all information, and students should show how they are the best fit for NU and how they will take advantage of the opportunities here.”

Northeastern Transfer Decision Date?

Northeastern transfer decisions will be made no later than June 15. However, they do release admissions decisions on a rolling basis so you could hear back any time after the Northeastern transfer deadline.

Final Thoughts – Northeastern University Transfer Acceptance Rate

Getting into Northeastern as a transfer is a realistic goal for students who have excelled in their early college coursework. Unlike other schools with single-digit acceptance rates, NU possesses a generous transfer process. While it varies from year to year, the transfer acceptance rate at this institution gives plenty of reason for optimism. Given this favorable landscape, applying to NU is well worth the $75 application fee.

Still, it is important to note that if you are 100% committed to leaving your current college, you’ll want to apply to other schools in addition to Northeastern University. Even if you have near-perfect college grades, admission into Northeastern is far from a guarantee, so you’ll want to create a balanced list of institutions that include safety schools.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to Northeastern as a first year student, you may find the following blog to be of interest:

• How to Get Into Northeastern

Those searching for application info on other colleges may wish to visit our Dataverse pages/blogs:

• Transfer Admissions Deadlines
• Transfer Acceptance Rates
• How to Complete the Transfer Common App