What the 2026-27 first-year estimate includes
Northeastern Admissions lists an estimated $98,322 annual cost of attendance for first-year undergraduates at Boston, New York City and Oakland for 2026-27. The displayed components are $71,050 tuition, $1,650 fees, $13,612 housing, $9,210 food, $1,000 books and supplies, $900 personal expenses and $900 transportation. Adding these components reproduces the published total. The figure is an annual planning estimate for the stated campuses and cohort, not a four-year contract or a graduate-program price. The university says estimates may change and tuition is subject to Board of Trustees approval. Check the source-specific details on Northeastern’s 2026-27 undergraduate cost estimate.
Direct billed charges versus budget allowances
Tuition and mandatory fees are institution charges. Housing and meal costs depend on a selected room and meal arrangement; books, personal expenses and transport are budget allowances rather than direct university charges in the cost table. Students living in university housing may be billed actual room and board at the selected rates, which can differ from the average allowance. Northeastern’s housing rates page publishes room prices by type and period, with rates subject to approval and change. When comparing offers, use the student’s actual housing offer and meal-plan choice rather than counting the allowance as a fixed invoice. Check the source-specific details on Northeastern’s housing rate schedule.
A cross-check on undergraduate tuition and fees
Student Financial Services lists full-time undergraduate tuition at $35,525 per term for 2026-27. Two terms equal $71,050, matching the annual tuition line in Admissions’ cost table. The billing page also lists the 2026-27 comprehensive fee for Boston, Oakland and NYC at $788 per term, or up to $1,576 annually, with a residential fee of $37 per term. It lists a student health plan at $3,049 annually, which may be waived when the student has qualifying coverage under the university’s rules. The admission cost estimate’s $1,650 fee line is not identical to the comprehensive-fee figure because billable components and student-specific charges can differ; use the billing statement and ask Student Financial Services to explain the applicable line items. Check the source-specific details on Northeastern’s tuition and fee schedule.
Graduate charges are programme-specific
Graduate tuition is not a single rate for all students. The 2026-27 billing page lists examples by college and programme, including $1,931 per credit for many D’Amore-McKim graduate programmes, $1,977 for College of Engineering, $1,976 for College of Science and $1,489 for CSSH. These sample per-credit rates are not full programme totals. To estimate tuition, confirm the programme’s required credits, course load, special fees, term structure and any rate applicable to the student’s entering cohort. Also determine whether tuition is billed by credit, term or another programme-specific basis.
Pathway programmes have separate first-year budgets
N.U.in and London Scholars are not priced by simply multiplying the standard Boston semester figure. Northeastern’s 2026-27 Admissions table lists an estimated direct cost of $46,600 for N.U.in Fall, including $35,122 tuition and an $11,488 programme fee that includes housing and flight; the page says this route is not eligible for federal aid. It lists London Scholars at an estimated $93,200 in direct cost, including $70,224 tuition and a $22,976 programme fee, with food not included. Students should confirm the precise pathway and period with the offer, because programme fees and included services differ.
Build the full budget beyond tuition
The cost estimate includes housing, food, supplies, personal expenses and transportation, but students may have other costs such as travel to the US, visa-related expenses and initial deposits. These are not necessarily included in the university’s listed annual total. For international students, the DCF asks for evidence of resources to cover the university-defined study budget. Keep the currency in USD and distinguish a billed fee from a planning estimate. If using currency conversion for family budgeting, label the conversion date and exchange rate separately; the official charge remains denominated in US dollars.
Ask for a written net-cost estimate
Before paying a deposit, request a student-specific estimate showing campus, programme, term, tuition basis, mandatory fees, insurance, housing, meal plan, scholarship and renewal requirements. Confirm whether the scholarship is per year or per term and how many terms it covers. International undergraduates are not eligible for federal or university need-based aid according to Northeastern’s stated policy, although competitive merit awards may be available. Do not treat an award maximum as the student’s actual grant. Recheck the official pages and bill immediately before payment because the published 2026-27 figures do not establish a future year’s charges. Check the source-specific details on Northeastern’s international student aid policy.
Avoid double-counting and compare the full programme
The annual cost-of-attendance total already includes its listed tuition, fees and estimated living components. Do not add the $71,050 tuition again to the $98,322 total when building a baseline. Instead, replace an estimate with a more exact amount when the student has a room assignment or meal plan, and add only items the table excludes. A four-year multiplication is only a rough illustration: it assumes the student remains enrolled for the same number of terms and that rates do not change. Northeastern’s board may revise tuition and fees, and programme length or co-op sequence can affect the number and timing of billed terms. Ask Student Financial Services for the programme’s current cost schedule and confirm the billed amount in the student account.
Per-credit and per-term amounts
Check each bill to see whether tuition is assessed by credit, term or academic year, and confirm whether a waiver has been formally recorded.