Which is generally harder to get into, Northeastern or Fordham?

The biggest practical difference is that Northeastern is usually viewed as the more selective admit, while Fordham is competitive but not typically at the same level overall. Northeastern draws a very large applicant pool, gets a lot of attention from students applying broadly to selective private universities, and has become especially tough in its regular decision rounds. Fordham is well regarded and selective in its own right, but in most general admissions comparisons, it is considered more accessible than Northeastern.

Part of that comes from applicant behavior and institutional profile. Northeastern’s co-op model, urban Boston location, and strong national visibility tend to attract a huge volume of applications. That combination has made admission there feel especially unpredictable for many strong students.

Fordham benefits from New York City, strong business and liberal arts offerings, and a solid reputation, especially in the Northeast. But it is not usually grouped with Northeastern in terms of overall admissions difficulty. For a student building a college list, Northeastern more often lands in the reach category, while Fordham is more likely to be a target or possible reach depending on the student’s record.

So in plain terms, Northeastern is generally harder to get into than Fordham. That does not mean Fordham is easy, only that if you are comparing the two side by side on selectivity alone, Northeastern is usually the tougher admit.