<p>So I've been accepted to both schools and am planning to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Due to merit scholarships Portland state would be almost 10,000 dollars cheaper a year. From both campus visits it seems like oregon state would offer many more opportunities would that justify the price difference?</p>
<p>Are you from out of state? Are you looking for a traditional college experience? PSU and OSU are apples and trucks. If money is a really big issue, that is the only reason I would even consider PSU. OSU’s engineering program is nationally known and more recruiters go to OSU for new hires. PSU is a commuter school and you won’t get any traditional college experience there at all. Just got back from a visit to the OSU campus and I was blown away by how much nicer (by a mile!) than it was compared to PSU. At this point, I won’t even consider sending my boys to PSU even though it’s 15 mins from us.</p>
<p>There are pluses and minuses. As OrygunMom noted, PSU is a commuter campus, so the population tends to be older. OSU is a traditional college, in terms of campus life.</p>
<p>I was an older student. I went to PSU for civil engineering in my early/mid twenties. I had to go there- I had to pay my own way through which meant that OSU was out of reach financially. My husband was a traditional student - and his parent paid for him to go to OSU (chemical engineering, though we are both registered environmental engineers). </p>
<p>PSU consistently won the steel bridge competition. I was always jealous of OSU’s wave lab - still am! It is very easy to find an internship while at PSU, as you are in the city. OSU does have a good coop program, which you should consider. I’ve run into many OSU coop students in my professional career and have been impressed. </p>
<p>I never felt that my education was lacking, though! I breezed through the FE exam, and even though I took many years off of my career (putting 11 years between my degree and my PE exam), I did absolutely no studying for the exam and passed on my first try. So if you end up at PSU, don’t think that the academics will be lacking. And there are consulting firms within spitting distance of the engineering area of PSU.</p>
<p>For my own kids, I would pick OSU over PSU, though I have my kids take classes during the summers at PSU (during their high school years). I want them to have a more traditional experience in college. If money were suddenly an issue, then PSU would be the choice for at least the first two years.</p>
<p>OSU if you can afford it…much more traditional college experience</p>