Northeastern vs. UMass Amherst Honors College?

Thinking of going in for computer science, but that’s subject to change at any time! I’m having trouble choosing one, I’m not sure how I felt about Northeastern, I didn’t really love it either time I visited, but the first time it was a crappy day and more recently I wasn’t given much direction & was irritated, so idk how I’d feel under better circumstances. I liked UMass a lot despite the stigma it has. Just wondering if the difference in cost is worth weighing, is NEU really that much better, etc. I’m visiting UMass for the final time soon, hopefully that’ll help my decision process.

Northeastern

  • closer to home (about an hour difference)
  • co-op
  • 76K in debt
  • #139 ROI (payscale.com)
  • early career salary ~ 54,100

UMass (CHC)

  • small class sizes
  • small community in honors college
  • 48K in debt
  • #175 ROI
  • early career salary ~ 49,400

Any opinions/experiences would be helpful! Thanks!

NEU is not worth that much debt, especially if you’re going into CS, which is one of Umass’ gems. It sounds like you’re in-state- why so much debt for Umass? I’ve noticed they’re being a bit stingier this year- one friend I have with an EFC of 5K didn’t get any fin aid- is that the problem?

I am in-state, not sure why there’s so much debt either. I’m not of an income bracket where I should be getting so little financial aid to be honest but it is the way it is. UMass is my cheapest option out of the schools I was accepted to. My main concern is making enough money right out of school to be able to handle it, and I feel like with CS that’s reasonable but I also can’t know for sure.

Don’t go into that much more debt for NEU.

Then, it seems wise to keep the debt as small as possible. The debt load as you report above is almost double for NEU and that’s a lot to pay for a school that you said in your original post that you did not like it all that much. The ultimate goal is to get the education and it sounds like you actually prefer UMass.

Thanks everyone (:

NEU is not worth the debt, as others have said. UMass will provide you with a great education at a good price. Besides, you said you didn’t like Northeastern the two times you went. Fit is a important aspect too.

Even $48,000 in debt at UMass seems excessive.

@TomSrOfBoston I realize that it is, but it was my cheapest option. I’m bitter about these results but I can’t do anything about it now. Trust me, I’m stressed about it.

Don’t be so stressed. UMass is a very respectable school, especially in the sciences and only getting better. One of my best friends here in Seattle went there and he’s got a very good job as an engineer. I like the Minutemen mascot too. Believe it or not, it’s not considered a party school outside of mass, and it’s a much better school from decades past. And you cannot rely on the reported ROI which cannot be used as a credible benchmark, in part because they’re based on unreliable surveys.

Not to derail your thread, but it really irritates me that Umass seems incapable of giving financial aid. One of my friends is probably the most brilliant people I know, and she has the stats to prove it- 2380 SAT, 3.95 GPA, several national awards- Umass gave her 2K in merit aid. 2K!!! And zero financial aid, even though her FAFSA EFC was 5K. She couldn’t afford her own in-state flagship being that accomplished- it’s so frustrating. I feel for you. Good luck.

@Qwerty568 Yeah I was reading up a bit on that, it’s super annoying. People like your friend should get merit aid for working their entire ~18 years to get this far, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen and it stinks. I got the 2K Dean’s Award from Umass and my SAT was only a 2090, 3.83 GPA, and I’ve done virtually nothing in my life. They’re just bad. I actually just calculated a bunch of stuff remembering that I won’t be paying NEU tuition for two semesters, so I’ll probably actually end up in less debt given that & the money earned from co-op, so I very well may not even end up at Umass. Thanks for the well wishes!

@Qwerty568 that is really weird.

My D also got the 2k merit scholarship (and is eligible for Koplik tuition waiver). Was shocked but we actually got about $3600 in financial aid grants. (EFC is about $12k.). Brings the cost of UMass down to about $18k.

@ConfusedMominMA Yes, the general response is that it is a very random process. I don’t understand how they make their decisions. My friend will be attending Umass Lowell, as it is the only school she could afford. She was expecting major merit from NEU, WPI, and Umass Amherst. While she got full tuition at Umass Lowell, NEU and WPI both gave her about 30 K in merit, which would leave her with about 100 K in loans over 4 years…obviously, very unaffordable. With Umass, she would have 60K in loans. Imagine, 60K in loans at a state flagship with those stats! All around, it’s a very confusing and heartbreaking situation. It’s so, so hard to see someone be so accomplished and not be able to afford their state flagship- what is Umass thinking?