Hello. S22 has been admitted and has to decide between Duke or Vanderbilt for mechanical engineering. After financial aid awards, Duke is $15k more expensive per year than Vanderbilt. Any informed opinion and advice on how to compare Duke vs Vanderbilt would be appreciated. Is the difference in price worth it?
Only if you can afford it and / or you’ll be miserable in Nashville and not in Durham.
Worth is up to the eye of the beholder - but both are obviously elite and will give a fine education and will have excellent outcomes.
2 Likes
If you have the $60,000 sitting around looking for a way to be spent, ask your son whether he would like to go to Vandy & get a $60,000 check for a deposit on a house after he graduates or go to Duke but no check.
From a career point of view there is no meaningful difference.
I’m in NC. If it was my kid looking to major in mechanical engineering I’d send them to NC State instead of Duke. Now, if it was biomedical engineering, maybe Duke.
1 Like
Which campus does he like better?