Address: 360 Huntington Ave, 02115 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Cooperative Education, Computer Science, Business
Northeastern University was founded in 1898 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its cooperative education programme began in 1909, when the College of Engineering became the first part of the university to offer it, and the model still shapes the institution: students combine classroom study with months-long professional placements, with employers in the United States and abroad.
Co-op is open to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students, who work in their professional field for four, six or eight months as part of a degree. Positions are available locally and globally, and the programme has run since 1909.
From its Boston home the private university has grown into a network of campuses that, according to its website, includes Burlington and Nahant in Massachusetts, Charlotte, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Oakland, Portland in Maine, Miami, New York City, London, Toronto and Vancouver. Its academic units include the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, the College of Science and Mills College at Northeastern. Joseph E. Aoun, a linguistics scholar and author of Robot-Proof, serves as president.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Global leader in cooperative education, with placements worldwide. Strong focus on experiential learning and interdisciplinary research. Growing global campus network.
Research:
A research university with strengths in computer science (AI, cybersecurity), health sciences, engineering, network science, and urban sustainability. Focus on use-inspired research.
Famous Alumnis:
Shawn Fanning, Biz Stone, Nikesh Arora, Wendy Williams, Patrice O’Neal
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
38000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
280000
Pros
World-renowned co-op program providing extensive professional experience, strong career focus, located in Boston, growing research profile.
Cons
Co-op program can be demanding (scheduling, moving), private university cost, large student population.
Best For
Students highly focused on gaining significant professional work experience through co-operative education while pursuing degrees in fields like computer science, engineering, business, or health sciences.
Drexel University in Philadelphia is a private university lining up engineering, health sciences and business through its LeBow college, a profile close to Northeastern's.
The University of Cincinnati is public, but its main fields list engineering with a co-op element next to design, architecture and music.
Boston University shares the city with Northeastern and, as a private university, covers medicine, communication and engineering.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private technical university in Worcester, Massachusetts, strong in engineering, robotics and computer science.
Rochester Institute of Technology, a private institution in Rochester, New York, combines engineering technology, computer science and art and design.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Waterloo (Canada) is a public university whose main fields, computer science, engineering and mathematics, are listed with a co-op label.
Constructor University (Germany) is a private university in Bremen concentrating on computer science and software engineering.
Ritsumeikan University (Japan), a private institution at Kusatsu, lists information science and engineering among its main fields.
Private Hanyang University (South Korea), located in Seoul, centres on engineering and mechanical engineering.
Vellore Institute of Technology (India) is a private institution in Vellore with engineering, computer science and information technology as its main fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was Northeastern University founded and where?
It was founded in 1898 and its main campus is in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the following decades it expanded far beyond that first site.
How does a co-op placement at Northeastern work?
Bachelor's, master's and doctoral students work in their professional field for four, six or eight months as part of their degree. Positions are available locally and globally.
When did the co-op programme start?
It began in 1909, when the College of Engineering became the first school of the university to offer it. The programme has therefore run for more than a century.
Does Northeastern have campuses outside Boston?
Yes. Its website lists sites in Massachusetts such as Burlington and Nahant, and in other places including Charlotte, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Oakland, Portland (Maine), Miami, New York City, London, Toronto and Vancouver.
Which colleges does the university include?
They include the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, the College of Science, and Mills College at Northeastern, among others. The official academics page lists the full set.
Who leads Northeastern?
Joseph E. Aoun is the president. The university describes him as a linguistics scholar and the author of the book Robot-Proof.
Where can an applicant find fees and admission rules?
The official site northeastern.edu has the admissions, financial aid and co-op pages. Requirements and costs vary by college and by degree level, so applicants should check the page for their chosen programme.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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