I got into the N.U. in Program at Northeastern, which sounds like an amazing exererience. I also got into fine state schools that cost half the price. What does Northeastern have that make it worth the cost? Is it worth it in the long run? Thanks!
I’ve heard many good things about Northeastern. Can you tell me what the other schools were? If you do not want to do so due to anonymity, just tell me how they compare ratings-wise. Also, will you be taking out loans for Northeastern? If yes, how much? If your parents can pay for it without any loans, go for it. If you’ll be in debt upon graduation, it all depends on how much better Northeastern is compared to the state schools.
Can you list each school and its cost after you calculate this: (tuition, room, board, fees) - (scholarships, grants)
(Do NOT count any loan or anything else). We’ll tell you what the best ROI is.
Run the numbers here:
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
The general advice is that you choose the place that will leave you with the least amount of debt.
I’ve heard great things about Northeastern but it obviously has a hefty price. Northeastern’s value and worth highly depends on what you can afford and what you make out of the college experience. Northeastern has very strong academics with a heavy emphasis on co-ops. Many people feel that co-ops are valuable because they get you acclimated with the job market and the work force early on. Also, Northeastern is right in the middle of Boston, a bustling city with a wonderfully urban environment. If these factors are important to you, then it’s worth it to consider Northeastern. If these factors aren’t enough to outweigh crippling debt and loans (don’t know how much you can afford but run the numbers), then it’s not worth it.
I really depends on what you other choices are and what your family financial status is like. If your state schools are comparable in quality, that is a plus for them. If money is no object in your family or if the net (after scholarship) costs are similar, that may push you towards Northeastern. In general, I would not go heavily into debt for Northeastern if the state choices are also good.
My niece is a Northeastern student. She absolutely loves it. She is on co-op this semester with a hedge fund in Boston (finance major.) This is the big thing that sets Northeastern apart from other colleges.
I’ve read from a couple sources/studies that employers place internships/employment as the number one factor in evaluating job candidates. Northeastern’s co-op program will give you those internships. Just another thing to consider.
Keep in mind you’ll be doing co-ops that you can use to help defray some of the costs (not by much obviously, but it probably helps).
It depends on what state schools you are looking at. State schools in the northeast are not peer schools of Northeastern. However, if you’re looking at Cal/Mich/UNC/UVA etc., that is a different story.
Back in the day (40 years ago) coop was considered to be a working class concept. In academia then (and now) Northeastern was looked down on because they made their students work rather than being able to enjoy the leisurely pace of academe.
The world has changed!
@majn51: can you answer questions in post #2?
What other universities have you been admitted to?
Where else are you waiting for still?
What’s your parents’ budget (out of pocket)?
Thank you so much for all of the feedback! To answer some of the questions I have been accepted to Binghamton University (which costs roughly $18,000- $20,000 ish) UMass Amherst (which would cost around $24,000) and UVM (which I believe to be in the $30,000 range? I might be wrong). Meanwhile the N.U. in Program at Northeastern would end up costing around $60,000. This is also including the abroad semester which is part of the program. The money coming into my family ranges every year because of the nature of my dad’s job. Sometimes we have good years, and other times not so much. This makes the decision that much harder. I might have to take out a number of loans if my family has a “bad” year while on the other hand, I might get lucky. I can say for sure that we aren’t rich and that the cost of the college definitely has to be considered.
I am also waiting to hear back from a lot of other schools. I reached for a lot of them (Northeastern was among the reaches) so I have no idea how the responses will be. It’s a long list… Would it help to post it?
Are those numbers per year or total over 4 years?
Per year
Northeastern is not worth $144,000 more than UMass-Amherst.
UMass is a solid school, often underrated.
Did you get into the Honors Program at UMass or Bing?
Those would be your most solid options.
Look into the opportunity of co-ops at either one of those - you never know, co-ops may be organized at one of these and you may be able to have a lower cost education and professional preparation 
Good luck for the other ones.
I agree, it’s nice that NEU has a solid co-op program and that it is in Boston but UMass is a great school for the money. (#76 in the US via US NEWS) This being said, do you know what major you are interested in? This should be important for picking a school since program rankings are important. Interestingly UMass Amherst actually outranks NEU in a couple of areas such as CS and Engineering. (as well as couple others) Lastly, I would take a good look at all your schools and their cost before you pull the trigger on a school.
Thank you for updating and telling us the relative costs. Binghamton and UMass Amherst are both strong schools and I think you should lean towards them. What would you like to major in/what career would you like to pursue? This aspect matters too.
Choose UMass. You could get an internship or coop. http://www.umass.edu/careers/internships
Are the COA with merit scholarships? UVM looks low. It is a faux ivy for wealthy kids.
UMass has optional co-ops: http://www.umass.edu/careers/internships/coopprocess
You can check other schools’ career centers for similar programs.