Hi - I am a transfer student and am trying to decide between Northeastern and Boston University. I am really struggling to make a decision as the schools seem so similar to me (other than the co-op for Northeastern). I welcome ANY and ALL advice and insight. I am a little concerned about Northeastern’s rankings - do you think they will always be a middle-of-the-pack institution or are they still climbing the ranking ladder?
What major/field?
On average, I think BU and Northeastern will continue to hold at a similar tier of prestige. NU has climbed a lot, but quite frankly they would need a much bigger endowment to go any higher in the rankings. Their admissions have gotten extremely competitive, but their yield remains under 20%. A big reason for that is their inability to offer more generous financial aid and merit aid to the very highly qualified students they admit.
IMHO I would choose Northeastern for the fields where they are able to place their students in really good co-ops that given them both a professional edge and a range of experiences that inform their career paths and enhance their educational experience. By this I mean fields like computer science, engineering (though there may be sub-fields within engineering at which BU particularly excels - for example I suspect that BU’s biomedical engineering benefits from its relationship with the med school), architecture, physical therapy, journalism, business, and design. Whereas if I were going to study the social sciences, humanities, pure sciences, fine arts, or performing arts I would lean toward BU unless I were interested in one of NU’s combined majors. (For example, science + journalism, and looking for science writing co-ops)
As far as campus life, I feel like NU has a bit of an edge, but not enough to outweigh the differences in academic approach and atmosphere. Reputation-wise, though, they’re pretty neck-and-neck unless you’re talking to an older-generation person whose perceptions of NU haven’t caught up to the ways it has changed in the past few decades. I don’t think either university is going to climb much higher in the rankings, but they should be pretty solid where they are.
Northeastern is tied for #40 in USNWR Tied with Tulane and right after Case Western. With over 3500 colleges and universities in the USA , it’s certainly not middle of the pack.
@aquapt I would be going for psychology. Likely will do a combined major with psychology and business. Thoughts?
JMHO, but if I were more interested in the theoretical and research aspects of psychology and planning on grad school, I would go to BU.
But if I wanted to get a general social sciences + business background in order to go straight into the corporate workforce, then I would go to NU and make the most of the co-op experience and the employment edge that can provide after graduation.
That’s all assuming that the financial picture is equivalent between the two.
Agree with above ^^. Co-Op is THE reason to go to NEU. It affects the school’s culture and vibe, especially on the upper-division level. Have you spoken with anyone in the co-op office about the ease/difficulties of getting co-ops as a transfer student? Is your competition other NEU students with greater co-op experience?
Co-ops mean NEU offers a different, less-than-traditional college experience. But it’s very good for pre-professional students. BU, otoh, will offer a more traditional experience (albeit on a non-traditional campus.)
Great advice by @aquapt - both will be good for the subject, but the biggest difference will be if you’re looking more towards grad school or working after, plus financials. If you’re in the middle, I’d honestly just go with the cheaper.
Have you visited the campuses? I’m also a transfer student, who applied to NEU and BU. Personally, I liked NEU’s campus MUCH better than BU’s. It feels more like a campus. NEU was also much more generous in terms of my transfer credit. Furthermore, NEU’s co-op programs are absolutely amazing for whatever major you are pursuing. If the prices were the same and I were choosing between the two, I would have chosen NEU without even thinking twice.
The combined majors at NEU are fantastic. Look closely at the transfer credit at both schools. Northeastern has a superior campus and coop.
Generally speaking around New England BU has more cachet. And a better global reputation. NEU is making big strides up in the national collegiate conversation. If you want co op it’s NEU. If not BU has a lot to offer academically.
even though NEU has climbed so fast in the US ranking, its reputation is not widely known. BU, on the other hand, has a high rank in global universities.