Northeastern University

Overview

Mission

Founded in 1898, we’re renowned for our experiential learning model, high-impact research, deep partnerships, and worldwide reach. Graduate education and entrepreneurship programming to support the rapidly transforming finance and tech economies Explore Miami []( nahant-campus. Today, a vanguard of donors is driving Northeastern’s historic $1.75 billion fundraising campaign. With initiatives that span the globe, accelerating outcomes, we’re creating a better world right now. Learn more about our mission Copyright 2026 Northeastern University Facebook. Our admissions process is designed to support you at every step 93% of undergraduate students and **95.3% of graduate students** are employed full or part time or are pursuing additional education within six months of graduation.

What it reported doing in 2024

Instruction northeastern enables 52,269 students to fulfill their educational goals by providing teaching and advising that result in the granting of associate, bachelor, master and doctoral degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. The university's academic areas consist of the bouve college of health science, college of arts, media and design, d'amore-mckim school of business, college of computer and information science, college of engineering, college of professional studies, college of science, college of social sciences and humanities, and school of law.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 86% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 75% for direct work, and 25% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
041679980
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2021
Headquarters
Boston, MA, USA
Phone
6173732000
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Student Sororities, Fraternities

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 90.8%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96.9%; rating input score 97; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.3%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.24; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.7%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 90.2% of revenue deployed · 90.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 31 of 32 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.8B in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $3M · 54 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $175.3M reported
  • Consistency: 49 of 50 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 14 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 208 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 190 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

54 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Joseph E Aoun (President/Trustee): $3,045,428 total reported compensation
  • Thomas Nedell (SVP Finance and Treasurer): $1,524,033 total reported compensation
  • Diane N MacGillivray (SVP of University Advancement): $1,440,359 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.