Michigan vs Hopkins

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

Hi guys,
I have been admitted to both University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University, and I loved them both. I was wondering which college I would be better off at, in your opinion, solely based on the strength of their undergraduate econ/stats programs.

2

Forget about Rank. What campus is the better fit /feel for you? Make a pro /con list of each (it actually helps). If money is the same then pick the one that just feels better to you. Go with your gut. The university can’t get you the jobs only you can no matter what university you go to.

3

You should not specialize too much at the undergraduate level. JHU and Michigan both have excellent Economics and Statistics departments. You want to move beyond that and focus more on fit. Where do you see yourself thriving more? Which setting and campus culture appeals more to you?

4

You’re fine academically at either.

What about financial fit - can you avoid or reduce debt with either choice?
What about campus life - do you “see yourself” at a football school in a college town? Or at a medium-sized school with a big city to explore?
Did either school signal that they expect great things from you by admitting you to a special scholarship or honors program?

5

Jhu is probably better on the undergrad level. Smaller classes, higher resources per student etc. Both are great schools though.

6

“Jhu is probably better on the undergrad level. Smaller classes, higher resources per student etc. Both are great schools though.”

Not really. JHU does not have a significant edge either way.

  1. Michigan is very wealthy. On a per student basis, only a handful of universities are noticeably better off. When you factor in state funding and economies of scale, only Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Rice and Notre Dame are noticeably wealthier. Michigan's endowment is $11 billion ($250,000 per student), while Johns Hopkins's endowment is $4 billion ($200,000 per student). So Michigan is wealthier on a per student basis even before factoring in state funding. When you factor in state funding and economies of scale, Michigan is significantly wealthier than JHU.
  2. Classes at JHU are smaller, but only marginally so. 74% of classes at JHU have fewer than 20 students compared to 60%, while 10% of classes at JHU have over 50 students compared to 15%. JHU has a slight edge, but it is not significant.

Bottom line, those to universities are peers academically.