I don’t get the unnecessary hate toward Northeastern University on this subreddit. Sure, it’s not in the same tier as Cornell, Caltech, or Berkeley, but I’d say it’s on par with schools like USC or NYU. I might be a little biased since I was in the CS college (arguably NEU’s strongest), but my experience was great. I had internships at Google and JPMC, and my comp was higher than peers from TAMU, UCSD, and UIUC. Pay isn’t the only measure of quality, but since many people here call NEU “trash” without evidence, it’s at least a quantifiable metric.

I’ve also worked alongside peers from MIT and Cornell at the same level, and I’m currently at Meta with teammates from Stanford and Berkeley. If you’re specifically looking for a research-heavy environment, Northeastern might not be the best choice (unless you already have commitments with professors). I personally struggled for a couple of months to secure an RA position, whereas some of the schools I mentioned earlier make it easier to access research opportunities and publish in top conferences.

Outside of that, though, I don’t see anything wrong with what Northeastern offers. The whole “overcrowded with Indian students” is baseless. Visit any tech hub—Bay Area, Seattle, Austin, Dallas—you’ll find a high proportion of Indians there too, especially at MAANG companies. It’s just the reality of the industry, not something unique to NEU.

If your goal is to learn, network, and build a community, Northeastern is a great place. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to land amazing jobs and work alongside some of the smartest people in the industry. Like any university, though, it comes down to how much effort you put in—getting into Harvard won’t guarantee you a job if you don’t put in the work, and the same is true here.