Northeastern emphasizes experiential learning, with 95% of undergraduates completing at least one cooperative education internship, also known as a co-op, over the course of their studies. (Most students take two or three during their tenure at NU.) These experiences, which are sort of like internships-plus, integrate classroom experience with stints of full-time employment at startups, nonprofits and research institutions.
Both undergraduate and graduate students pursue in-depth research projects, and many present those projects at the school's annual Research, Innovation and Scholarship Expo (RISE). Northeastern offers over 190 majors, with highly lauded programs in business, economics, political science, engineering, architecture and more. NU students have great outcomes; 97% find employment or enroll in graduate school within nine months of graduating, and nearly one-third make starting salaries upwards of $70,000, according to the university.
The school also boasts more than 400 clubs and organizations — engineering and robotics are well-represented, but there are also plenty of groups for those with more niche interests (like the DIY craft club, a tabletop gaming club and Green Line Records, a student-run record label). And since NU is located smack in the middle of one of Boston’s liveliest neighborhoods — the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Symphony Hall and ample bars and restaurants are mere blocks away — there’s plenty to do off-campus, too.
