I am very concerned about the brand name of Northeastern. I know that it used to be a commuter school and has redefined itself within the past few decades but was hoping to get additional input!
Here are my questions, I would really appreciate any help 
Rankings?
High quality brand name?
Appeal to employers?
Is it prestigious?
USNWR #40.
Yes it is a selective uni and well regarded. Not Stanford but really good to excellent. Just read the decision thread and see all the high stat kids who are being denied admission
Forbesâ Americaâs Top Colleges: #241
I agree with @privatebanker
Itâs a very good school, but itâs not Harvard. I would way it is at the level of NYU, Boston U, Boston College, and U Rochester in terms of âprestige.â
In all honesty, itâs about what you do with your degree. If you graduate Northeastern with a high GPA and have done a lot of internships and other experiences, you will most likely have a good job.
Northeastern is excellent. It is not NYU or BC.
Forbes penalizes NU for its very low four-year graduation rate, which results from most students participating in co-ops which extend the program to five years. NU also gets dinged for high student debt, which is a legitimate criticism but shouldnât decrease the value of the program for a student who can graduate without significant debt.
The NU experience is very well-crafted for students who want the real-world experience of co-op and the employment opportunities that can lead to post-graduation. Itâs not an ivory-tower, âlife of the mindâ kind of place. But if pre-professional real-world engagement is what youâre looking for, and if the cost of attendance after need-based or merit aid is within reach, then itâs an excellent and very well-regarded school.
@privatebanker Do you mean itâs not as good as NYU and BC?
Iâd say itâs comparable to NYU in many areas, but not in NYUâs greatest areas of strength (arts and probably business). Then again Iâd rather study computer science or a health profession at Northeastern than at NYU. Engineering, maybe tied?
BC is a stronger liberal arts school. But most people who are drawn to NU arenât looking for that per se.
U Rochester is stronger for people who are more theoretically oriented. Personally, if I intended to go on to grad school I would choose UR over NU. But if I wanted to be launched straight into the workforce I would lean toward NU.
Iâm a little confused as to why OP applied to Northeastern without having an impression as to whether it was someplace (s)he would want to attendâŠ?
My D pretty much had her tuition covered with merit money and a good part of her boarding as well, for her first 2 years so far. My S got 18K in Merit on his offer this year, which was nice but more along the line of what many others got.
Itâs one of those schools that is really trying to push itself into the higher echelons.
âDo you mean itâs not as good as NYU and BC?â
It doesnât have the renown of NYU nor the intellectual reputation of BC. So if youâre looking for name prestige, Northeastern may not be a good fit. But itâs a good choice if youâre looking for a great job after graduation - or a lot of hands-on experience during your studies - or a competitive edge in the workplace as youâre starting out.
Note that NYU and BC, along with BU and USC, used to be commuter schools too.
True @TomSrOfBoston. I should have written âIt doesnât have the renown of NYU nor the intellectual reputation of BC. YET.â 
Prestige is an irrational emotion, and rankings are based entirely on subjective opinion. The only fact in choosing a school is money. Choose one thatâs affordable, and you really canât go wrong as long as your grades are good.
Rankings are not based on subjective opinion they are based on some sort of objective criteria, at least most are. Money is only one factor but if itâs everything to coolguy40, then community college is where everyone belongs.
Virtually all rankings combine objective (stats) and subjective (satisfaction, peer assessments, etc.) criteria. They also vary on whether the focus is on todayâs education (U.S. News) or post-education performance (Forbes). Because the nationally competitive Northeastern of today is far different from its regional commuter school roots, it will do better on the former rather than the latter You will see a continuing rise in Northeasternâs performance in the latter type of assessment over the next ten to twenty years until the student body of the last 10 years or so and beyond have established mid-career benchmarks.
The bottom line is that the Northeastern of today has rapidly established itself as competitive with many schools that traditionally have carried greater prestige. Itâs not among the incredibly elite (top 25 or so schools, however, you choose to define them), but it is competitive or better with virtually every other university at a general level (also remembering that âlesser schoolsâ may have killer programs in particular fields and be a better choice for those that know they want to be in those domains). It may not win out in the end, but an NEU admission offer should at least be considered by most students that are also accepted to the other schools mentioned on this thread. Consider the strength of individual programs, finances, campus environment, geographical preference, etc. Prestige will follow you if you perform.
It depends on what prestigious means, if you are comparing it to Ivies and top LACâs for bumper sticker value then no. But if you are talking about where you could land career wise then absolutely. Most employers including many âprestigious employersâ have no trouble hiring Northeastern students for coop. It depends on your goals.
@CU123 Itâs still subjective no matter what math you use to try to quantify it. Scholars use math to try to quantify opinions all the time. How do they come up with their formulas? Well, itâs based on some sort of interpretive opinion. How do you get a consensus? Well you get more people with the same opinion to agree with yours. It still doesnât create facts. Cost is real, tangible and measurable. It should always come first. Everything else is based on personal choice and preference. No one ever said they need to go to community college, just donât base your choice on someone elseâs opinion, that includes mine
NU has the right trajectory and has surpassed BU and BC in selectivity, although it is still slightly behind them in USNWR rankings (forget the Forbes BS ranking, Forbes has no credibility in college rankings). Now, as for program quality, it depends on the college. CS, Engineering, and Nursing are all top notch. Business is strong, but could be better. As for other colleges, NYU, BU, and BC will be tied or better in many areas. In other words, do your research, but if you are worried about NUâs reputation, donât. If you are serious and want a strong resume when you graduate, the coop program is unsurpassed and employers know it. The only people who donât think NU is prestigious are grey beards who remember it as a commuter school. However, even then it had a strong industry rep.
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