<p>I'm majoring in computer science and both schools have given me similar financial aid packages. Northeastern has co ops and that's the main reason I'm leaning towards NEU. The only downside I see to NEU is it's overall ranking at US News. NEU is ranked at 54 while Boston College is in the low 30s. So there must be some significant academic differences between the two schools. But on the other hand, NEU is ranked 15th in programming for computer science, while Boston College isn't even on the list. I'm completely torn.</p>
<p>Which do you guys think will be better for me as a computer science major?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t think too much about the rankings. They’re so imprecise and take into account weird things, so 54 vs 30s is not a dirtier difference. And as you pointed out, it depends on the program you’re going into.
I think what’s more important in this case is the environment. BC is a much quieter campus outside of the city, while NU prides itself on its urban setting. BC is also a catholic school, and I think they have a more extensive core/liberal arts req. (though I could be wrong. Feel free to correct me, anyone).
CS is a good major to get a job straight out of college, but it’s not a guarantee, and co-ops definitely help. Plus, CS co-ops generally pay pretty well.</p>
<p>When it comes to BC BU and Northeastern you have to go to the school that fits your personality, all are in Boston but they are very different! Keep in mind that 20 ranks in the US News isn’t that much, especially given the uniqueness of Northeastern and the effect that has on its ranking. Visit both, talk to students and professors choose the school you think you’ll feel the happiest and most successful at both academically and socially (city life vs. campus life).</p>
<p>If the ranking of Northeastern is really the big issue, just look at the jump Northeastern’s made in the last 5 years! Imagine where it will be by the time you graduate in another 5. Obviously Northeastern is going to move slower because of the schools its competing against in the upper ranking, but hopefully in the next 10-20 years Northeastern will have a reputation in the northeast similar to that of Northwestern in the midwest.</p>
<p>I would like to note that this supposed lower ranking of NEU when compared to other top 20 schools is the result of the fact that most college rankings are based of four year graduation rates, and as we know more than 80 percent of students at NEU graduate in 4.5 to 5 years</p>
<p>forget about those stupid rankings…once & for all!
And go to BC! Fantastic place with incredible professors & unsurpassed connections for work! Great public transportation too…
Fun place when it needs to be & study study study when it needs to be…
And what can be better than a values centered school?
Volunteer opportunities abound.
My D1 graduated '10 & is fully employed at Georgetown U since graduation…psych major;;
Met lifelong friends…</p>
<p>BC and Northeastern are not similar at all so you should really visit the campuses. BC is a catholic school that requires religious courses to be taken, while Northeastern is a very liberal school (in pretty much every way). Both are fantastic but for different reasons and for different types of students. Academically, Northeastern is probably better for comp sci, but BC is better for the humanities.</p>
<p>I find those rankings arbitrary, but do keep in mind the enormous leaps Northeastern has made on those lists within the last 5 years alone. In another 5 years, it’ll be even better.</p>
<p>The rankings place a large emphasis on 4-year graduation rates. Northeastern operates on a 5-year program with 3 co-ops interspersed with school work, and the U.S. News list doesn’t take that into account.</p>
<p>BC is a great school, but you have to think about what you want in a university. BC isn’t actually in Boston (it’s in Chestnut Hill), and its campus is suburban. Very quiet. Northeastern is right in Boston, and its campus is urban. Fast-paced and exciting. BC is a Catholic Jesuit school that’s more conservative (just this past week they cracked down on students distributing condoms) whereas Northeastern is more liberal. BC is more humanities-oriented, and Northeastern is better in the STEM fields. For a computer science major, I think the choice is clear. Go to Northeastern. Not only are the academics better for your department, but you’ll have absolutely unbeatable experience through co-op. By the time you graduate, you will have worked 3 full-time, well-paid jobs at fantastic corporations. BC can’t offer you that. If you were perhaps majoring in philosophy or anthropology, it might be a different story. But your field is one that demands hands-on experience. NU all the way.</p>
<p>BC is not quiet! And tell the Nursing, Carroll School (business) & Ed students that this is just a humanities centered university! Sure the Arts & Science majors would agree with this. And working or coop or volunteering? That is what most students at BC do, including my D1 who mentored 2 young girls on campus as well as Big Brothers Big Sisters, while taking 5 classes & working many jobs…Both are good schools but lets get the facts straight!</p>