How to Apply to Engineering at Northeastern University: Eight ABET-Accredited B.S. Programs in the College of Engineering, Applying Directly to a Major with a Common First Year, and Cooperative Education Built into the Curriculum, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

At Northeastern University, undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering. Based on Northeastern’s website, this guide is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. The catalog lists computer and information science as a separate college, so computer science is not part of the College of Engineering and is not covered here; computer engineering and the other engineering majors are. Northeastern is a private university, and the catalog’s tuition page does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state students. We did not use the admissions, student financial services or international websites, so please check them for score requirements, housing rates and scholarships.

1. Majors and accreditation

• Eight engineering B.S. degrees (catalog): bioengineering and chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial and mechanical engineering. There are also combined majors within the college and between the college and other colleges (for example mechanical engineering and bioengineering, industrial engineering and business administration, and industrial engineering and computer science), over 70 minors and PlusOne accelerated master’s programs. The college has five undergraduate departments: Bioengineering; Chemical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
• ABET accreditation (college accreditation page): the B.S. in bioengineering, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial and mechanical engineering are each described as accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission.
• Campuses: first-year students may enter in Boston, Oakland or London, and first-year engineering coursework is also offered through the New York City Scholars Program and the N.U.in Program. The website says engineering students complete their studies in Boston after the first year, except those admitted to Oakland for computer engineering, computer engineering and computer science, electrical engineering, or electrical and computer engineering, who may stay in Oakland.
• Four-year programs: the catalog says four-year programs are available for all majors and combined majors; students who want an 18-month co-op may enroll in the PlusOne accelerated master’s program.

2. How admission works: apply to a major, common first year

• Applying to a major: the catalog says applicants apply to a major or combined major in one of seven undergraduate colleges, or to the Explore Program for undeclared students. For engineering, choose a specific engineering major on the application. The pages we read do not describe separate engineering quotas, GPA thresholds or an extra College of Engineering essay, or differences in selectivity between majors; ask Undergraduate Admissions.
• First Year Engineering: all new engineering students take a common curriculum of math, chemistry, physics, the First-Year Seminar (GE 1000), Cornerstone of Engineering 1 and 2 (GE 1501 and 1502) and writing, and are assigned a major-specific advisor. The college says this gives students flexibility to change engineering majors during the first year. Typical courses include Cornerstone of Engineering 1 and 2, General Chemistry for Engineers, Physics for Engineering, calculus (or Differential Equations and Linear Algebra) and First Year Writing.
• Changing within engineering: students already in the college submit a Change of Major Request Form and meet an advisor (their current one or one assigned for the new major). The page states no grade threshold.
• Changing in from another Northeastern college (change-of-major page): good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0; at least a C (or advanced standing credit) in one required math course and one required engineering chemistry or physics course; and no more than two deficiencies (F, I, W, U) in required program coursework. Students who do not meet these remain in their current college. Requests are accepted year-round and reviewed at set points: fall 2026 mid-semester October 20 and end of term December 23; spring 2027 March 9 and May 4; summer 2027 June 30 and August 25. Whether places are limited or guaranteed is not stated.
• F-1 and J-1 students changing majors: the page says a new DHS rule that was to take effect September 15, 2026, would have required F-1 undergraduates to complete one academic year before changing majors, but it was postponed after a nationwide court injunction on September 14, 2026; current F-1/J-1 regulations are unchanged while litigation continues. Undergraduate J-1 students are generally not eligible to change majors. Requests go to the Office of Global Services (OGS) to confirm eligibility; check OGS for updates.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the change-of-major page says the engineering curriculum assumes one year of pre-college physics, chemistry and precalculus. The admission pages do not list subject requirements for high school applicants; ask Undergraduate Admissions.
• Math placement: first-year students take a calculus sequence or Differential Equations and Linear Algebra. How students are placed is not stated on the pages we read.
• AP/IB/A-level credit (admission policy page): credit is generally awarded for AP and NEWL scores of 4 and 5, IB Higher Level scores of 5, 6 or 7 (none for Standard Level, the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge), and A-level grades of C or better (H2 for Singapore-Cambridge; exams must be administered by AQA, Cambridge Assessment including OCR, CCEA, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC or subsidiaries). Abitur, Baccalauréat and several other matriculation exams are also listed. Advanced credit is capped at 32 semester hours, and the Transfer Equivalency Database shows which engineering courses are matched. The Gaokao is not on the list.
• Laptop: several first-year engineering courses require a laptop meeting the college’s specifications; the college also recommends a mouse for AutoCAD and SolidWorks, and safety glasses are required in the First Year Engineering Learning & Innovation Center (it recommends bringing your own).

4. Application rounds, documents and testing

• Rounds (admissions page, no year stated): Early Decision I (binding) November 1; Early Action (non-binding) November 1; Early Decision II January 1; Regular Decision January 1. “Binding” means a student admitted to the first-preference program must enroll. Confirm the fall 2027 dates on the admissions website.
• Application and fee: the Common Application or the Coalition Application, with no preference between them. The application fee is $75, and a fee waiver can be requested.
• First-year materials: Northeastern-specific questions, counselor and teacher recommendations, and a secondary school report and transcript with junior-year grades (plus first-semester grades when available). The catalog says the committee also looks at course rigor, recommendations, resumé, essay and community contributions. No separate College of Engineering essay is described on the pages we read.
• Testing: optional. Applicants who choose not to submit scores are not disadvantaged. Students who report scores themselves must send official scores with the enrollment deposit.
• Deposit and housing: new students pay a non-refundable $600 enrollment deposit with the housing application; housing is required for first- and second-year students entering through fall admission to Boston or through the N.U.in Program.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Review: the catalog says admission is highly selective and holistic. The committee considers whether students took the advanced coursework available to them (honors, AP, IB or college courses), recommendations, resumé, essay and community contributions; more than 100,000 students apply for the first-year class. The pages we read publish no engineering score cut-offs and no preference for residents of any state.
• Tuition (2026-2027, catalog): tuition is $35,525 per semester ($2,221 per credit hour); the Student Health Plan is $3,049 a year; the Comprehensive Fee is $788 per semester with a $1,576 annual maximum; residence hall students pay a $37 per-semester activities fee. The tuition page lists no extra engineering charge and no in-state/out-of-state split. Room and board rates are on a separate housing page that we did not read.
• Co-op and tuition: tuition is not charged during co-op, though students who stay in a university residence hall pay room and board and are charged tuition if they enroll in a class. The academic year has three full semesters (fall September–December, spring January–April, summer May–August, with two sessions of about seven weeks each in summer).
• Financial aid: U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens apply for federal aid with the FAFSA; the CSS Profile is also needed for institutional aid (undergraduate day students only).
• Merit scholarships: all students who apply on time are considered, separately from financial aid. The John Martinson Honors Program invitation is included in the admission letter with no separate application; the Ujima Global Leaders Program serves first-year students with leadership and community involvement, and recipients with demonstrated need have full need met.

6. International applicants

• English: non-native English speakers who were not educated entirely in English for the four consecutive academic years before enrolling, regardless of citizenship, must submit official results from the Duolingo English Test, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, IELTS, Pearson Test of English Academic or TOEFL. Those with four or more consecutive years of high school or university in which English was the primary language of instruction may ask Undergraduate Admissions for a waiver. English-language learners are strongly recommended to submit IELTS, and some applicants whose English is good but not enough for a full-time degree may be referred to NU Immerse, an English immersion program. Minimum scores are not listed on the pages we read; check the international applicants page on the undergraduate admissions website.
• Testing: optional for international applicants as well.
• Finances and visas: international students submit Northeastern’s Declaration and Certification of Finances through the Application Status Check. After admission and the deposit they request an I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) in myOGS; OGS issues it within 15 business days, and students may enter the U.S. no more than 30 days before the program starts. F-1/J-1 students must register full-time (at least 12 credits) each term.
• Co-op and visa status: the catalog warns that not every visa category allows internships, co-ops or international travel, which may affect completion; students in other categories should contact OGS.
• Credential evaluation: college coursework from outside the U.S. must be translated into English and evaluated by a recognized agency (see transfer). How secondary school credentials are authenticated is not stated on the pages we read.
• Scholarships: international students are eligible for merit scholarship consideration, but Northeastern does not offer need-based assistance to international students, and they are not eligible for U.S. federal aid.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: it does not appear among the exams that earn advanced credit, and the admission pages do not say whether or how Gaokao scores are used. This is not published; ask Undergraduate Admissions.
• Documents: recommendations, transcripts, official English test results and the financial declaration. Specific requirements for Chinese transcripts and school-leaving exam materials are not stated on the pages we read.
• International curricula: students in AP, IB or A-level programs can seek advanced credit at the thresholds above, and English-medium schooling may qualify for the English waiver.
• Country page, interview, accrediting bodies: none appears on the pages we read; consult the international applicants page of the undergraduate admissions website and Undergraduate Admissions.

8. Cooperative education (co-op)

• Format: the college says co-op lets bachelor’s and master’s students work in their profession for periods of four, six or eight months as part of the curriculum, and that the College of Engineering was the first Northeastern college to offer co-op, starting in 1909. A typical six-month assignment spans spring plus summer session A, or summer session B plus fall.
• Participation and scheduling: the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department says more than 90% of its undergraduates take part. Students generally alternate periods in class with periods on co-op, and the last semester is in the classroom. See each major’s plan of study for its pattern.
• Jobs: co-op positions are local and global, in industry and research; the college lists sample employers by major, and the department describes entry-level roles in manufacturing, quality assurance and testing, 3D CAD modeling, robotics and biomedical devices.
• Eligibility: the pages we read give no GPA or course requirement for co-op and no guarantee of a position; ask the co-op and career development office.

9. Transfer students

• Applying: apply in spring for a fall start or in fall for a spring start; all transfer options depend on space availability. Materials: Common or Coalition Application, $75 fee, official transcripts from every college attended, a College Report from the registrar or dean, an academic evaluation from an advisor, professor or employer, the final high school transcript or GED, and a Joint Service Transcript for veterans. Testing is optional.
• Competitiveness: more than 4,000 transfer applications are received each year, and the catalog says the most competitive candidates typically have a GPA of 3.500 or higher. The committee also considers academic preparation for the chosen major. The pages we read do not list calculus, physics or chemistry prerequisites for transfer into engineering.
• Credit: up to 60 semester hours from a two-year college or 80 from a four-year college (or a combination). Courses with a C or better are evaluated by faculty; liberal arts coursework more than 10 years old and math and science coursework more than 5 years old cannot be considered. Documents must arrive before matriculation and within one semester of it. Courses from non-U.S. institutions must be translated into English and evaluated by a recognized credential agency.
• Time to degree: the catalog advises transfer students to check their curriculum with an academic advisor because the number of semesters depends on the college’s curriculum.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Choose a specific engineering or combined major when applying; plan for November 1 (Early Decision I, Early Action) or January 1
• Gather recommendations, transcript and the supplemental questions; testing is optional; consider the FAFSA and CSS Profile

International applicants (including China):

• Prepare an approved English test or check the four-year English-medium waiver; ask Admissions for score minimums
• Submit the financial declaration; request the I-20 in myOGS after admission; ask how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Aim for a GPA above 3.5; collect all transcripts, translate and evaluate non-U.S. coursework, and check required prerequisites with an advisor

Sources: Northeastern University, College of Engineering: apply; Undergraduate studies; ABET accreditation; First Year Engineering for incoming students; Change of major; Cooperative education; College of Engineering (2026-2027 catalog); Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (catalog); Admission policy and entrance requirements; Merit scholarships; Tuition, room, board and fees; Financial aid; Undergraduate application rounds. The application rounds page does not state a year; costs are for 2026-2027. Check Northeastern’s website for the latest.