Quad

Head-to-head

Northeastern
Tufts

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Northeastern costs about $15.1K less per year on average than Tufts ($51,270 vs. $66,346, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Northeastern's grants cover 39% of its full price on average, vs. 25% at Tufts

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Northeastern has 2.5× as many undergrads as Tufts

    Undergrads
  4. 4

    Northeastern is 2.1× more selective than Tufts

    Acceptance rate
  5. 5

    Northeastern grads earn $9.3K more ten years out than Tufts's ($92,538 vs. $83,214)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Northeastern's yield is 5 pts higher than Tufts's

    Yield rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Northeastern admits 5.2%, Tufts 11%; Northeastern's yield is higher, at 54%.

Acceptance rate
Northeastern5.2%
Tufts11%
Quad's selectivity
  • NortheasternUltra selective
  • TuftsHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
Northeastern
1440–1540
Tufts
1460–1520
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • NortheasternRigor, GPA, and tests very important95%
  • TuftsSchool record and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Northeastern has 2.5× as many undergrads as Tufts; both have the same Pell share, 12%.

Undergrads
Northeastern17.3K
Tufts7.1K
Pell Grant share
Northeastern12%
Tufts12%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Northeastern, and Computer Science at Tufts; Tufts has 10 students per faculty member to Northeastern's 16.

Students per faculty member
Northeastern16 to 1
Tufts10 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • NortheasternBusiness/Commerce, General18%
  • TuftsComputer Science12%

What each costs

Northeastern costs about $15.1K less a year than Tufts on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northeastern$51.3K
Tufts$66.3K
Aid generosity
Northeastern39%
Tufts25%

What each pays off

Northeastern's former students earn more, a median $92.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 90% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northeastern$92.5K
Tufts$83.2K
Graduation rate
Northeastern91%
Tufts94%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • NortheasternGrowing+98%
  • TuftsGrowing+81%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Northeastern University Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2025 applicants;Northeastern University Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2023;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Tufts University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Tufts University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Tufts University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;Tufts University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why