Northeastern University

Northeastern University was founded in 1898 as the Evening Institute for Younger Men in the Huntington Avenue YMCA. Over the next 40 years it transformed into a university with its first president being Frank Palmer Speare (Speare Hall located on Huntington Avenue is named after him). In 1909, the university began its signature practice of cooperative education. Cooperative education consists of a combination of workplace experience and classroom education. The University was renamed Northeastern University in 1922 and in 1927 adopted the modern mascot of the Huskies. Following World War II, a variety of changes occurred around campus, including separation from the YMCA and the first female enrollees in 1948. As part of the post-war educational boom the university added 5 schools between 1953 and 1982, including the School of Education. 1990 represents a transition from commuter school to a traditional campus and became the first class in which most of the graduates had lived in campus. During the 1990s, the university redirected its vision becoming much more selective and also deciding to invest more than $400 million into its facilities. This period also marked a shift in the importance cooperative education system as the school made changes to the semester systems allowing for longer coop experiences. Since 2005 the school has risen into the Top 100 schools on the US News and World Report’s Best College Guide and currently sits at 40 (as of 2018). This rise has not come without some controversy as changes occured to make the school more attractive in terms of the ratings but not necessarily a better university. In comparison to the other schools in the area it began earlier however did not experience significant growth into a research institution until recently which is unique among the schools in Boston some of which are relatively new while others have been key players in higher education from their founding. Additionally, Northeastern’s promotion of the cooperative education is unique among the schools in Boston and also unique within the context of American education.