<p>If cost is an issue, I’d strongly encourage you to look at Minnesota. Total COA for an OOS student is roughly comparable to in-state COA at UMass-Amherst, and at Minnesota you’d be buying into a top 5 (at least) ChemE program, as well as a top 20 Materials Science program. UMass doesn’t give you that. Michigan’s got great programs but OOS COA is much higher and its FA is spotty, at best, for OOS students. There are some fine schools in the Northeast but you may find Minnesota gives you better value–more academic bang for your buck, especially in your fields where they’re just very, very strong. And cheap.</p>