Northeastern vs Clark University

Northeastern University and Clark University, both located in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Northeastern boasts a higher acceptance rate (32%) compared to Clark's (28%), making it slightly easier to gain admission. In terms of student body demographics, Northeastern has a larger undergraduate population (16,800) than Clark (2,200), resulting in a more diverse and vibrant campus community. While Northeastern excels in STEM fields, with popular majors like Computer Science and Engineering, Clark shines in the liberal arts, with strengths in Psychology and History. Both universities offer competitive graduation rates, with Northeastern at 88% and Clark at 86%, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two esteemed institutions.
Clark University logo

Clark University

Northeastern University logo

Northeastern University

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 87.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 48.0% 18.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $100
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1218 - 1403 1430 - 1550
ACT range 27 - 30 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 28.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 14.0%
Total number of applicants 8,151 75,244
Total number of admissions given out 3,915 13,829
Admitted students who chose to enroll 505 4,504
Yield rate 12.9% 32.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $62,302 $78,202
Average net price $31,565 $38,927
Tuition $49,950 $56,500
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,000

Meal plan: $4,150
Room/dormitory: $9,900

Meal plan: $7,910
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $27,608
80.0%
Average amount $36,308
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,282
44.0%
Average amount $5,154
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $16,271
5.0%
Average amount $28,495

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,302
Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
15,747
Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
Graduate students 1,048
Men 49.3% Women 50.7%
12,420
Men 52.1% Women 47.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 23.0% 34.0%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,633 10,481
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi New York Connecticut Maine New Jersey New York New Jersey Connecticut California Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 79.0% 90.6%
Dropout rate 6.8% 5.1%
Transferred out 14.1% 3.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,601
  • Year 2: $64,328
  • Year 3: $76,941
Geography and Cartography (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,259
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $68,708
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,937
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $58,038
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,649
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,210
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,148
  • Year 2: $44,418
  • Year 3: $49,665
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,833
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $49,591
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,656
  • Year 2: $39,639
  • Year 3: $47,508
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,412
  • Year 2: $34,526
  • Year 3: $46,715
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,423
  • Year 3: $46,559
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: $46,250
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,157
  • Year 2: $102,123
  • Year 3: $124,358
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,863
  • Year 2: $100,518
  • Year 3: $122,957
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $113,631
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $121,357
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,065
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $110,392
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,288
  • Year 2: $89,413
  • Year 3: $108,000
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $104,196
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,801
  • Year 2: $89,415
  • Year 3: $103,529
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,777
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $102,904
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,529
  • Year 2: $89,564
  • Year 3: $99,566
Biotechnology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,825
  • Year 2: $80,556
  • Year 3: $98,428

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