Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Northeastern University, Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | NortheasternBoston, MA | DrexelPhiladelphia, PA | Carnegie MellonPittsburgh, PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 5.2% | 79.4% | 11.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1440–1540 | 1240–1440 | 1500–1570 |
| Average net price | $30,91512.3% on Pell grants | $38,50926.8% on Pell grants | $31,94416.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $66,162Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $62,412Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $66,246Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 90.5% | 78.2% | 94.1% |
| First-year retention | 96.9% | 89.5% | 98.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 12.3% | 26.8% | 16.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $92,538 | $84,648 | $114,862 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,250 | $25,325 | $21,750 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | 9:1 | 5:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 17,326 | 13,233 | 7,304 |
| Consensus percentile | 19Lower is better | 25Lower is better | 7Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 32 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 31 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 11 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Northeastern | Drexel | Carnegie Mellon |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #46 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #80 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #20 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #113 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #185 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #43 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #118 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #47 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #168 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #181 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #56 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #46 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #163 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #18 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | #384 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source | #52 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Career-focused students who want substantial paid professional experience before graduating and are comfortable trading a conventional four-year campus rhythm to get it.
Average net price of $30,915; aid trails equally selective private peers.
Full profileStudents who want substantial paid co-op experience in a major city and do not have highly selective credentials — provided the aid package and the specific program's outcomes hold up.
A 78.2% six-year graduation rate is low for a private research university.
Full profileStudents with a sharply defined specialty — computing, robotics, design, drama, quantitative business — who want to go deep immediately rather than explore broadly.
Need-based aid is weaker than peers at the same ranking tier; net price averages $31,944.
Full profile