So basically, I’m trying to decide between these two schools for engineering. I’m instate at Purdue but did not receive any money, making it 10,000 a year plus room and board. Alabama gave me enough money to make tuition only 1500 plus room and board. However, Purdue is a much higher ranked and more prestigious engineering school by far. My only fear with Purdue is that the campus and town isn’t really that great, gender ratio is bad, and it’s stereotyped as king of a “boring” school (I know I shouldn’t be basing my college decision off these things but still, I’ll be spending 4 years there). Meanwhile, Alabama has a better campus, weather, and social scene overall, and I’ll save 34,000 bucks, but’s it’s also in the Deep South so that might take some adjusting to. My other thought was that I can always transfer back to Purdue and get instate tuition, but Alabama’s scholarship expires forever on may 1. My parents think I’m crazy for not just going to Purdue, but they’ll also respect my decision either way.
I think you need to find out what’s really important to you first. If better campus is what drives you, then go that way. I can tell you that most of “fun” is generated by you, not your environment. I had a blast at Purdue when it was much less “fun” then it is now.
I also have said many times on CC, anybody from Indiana who wants to be an engineer and goes anywhere else for engineering is just foolish. However, you may be the exception. If it is cheaper to go to a state university to study engineering than your instate option you need to consider it. There isn’t much difference between undergraduate engineering programs, especially in the popular engineering disciplines to make a person pick one over the other because of prestige.
That being said I’ve never heard anyone say Alabama when they mention good engineering schools. It may be, I’ve just never heard it in 30+ years in the engineering industry. I’ve never met an engineer from Alabama. You’d expect that if I stayed in the midwest, but on the East Coast I constantly run into Purdue engineers, UIUC engineers, Wisconsin Engineers, UMich engineers, etc.
I’d look to see where engineering graduates get jobs. My son went to UMD for CS and almost all of the expected jobs are in the beltway. So many government type jobs at places like NASA, FDA, NRL, etc. In addition many defense contractors like Lockheed Martin. However, Purdue had all that and more when I was there. All the automotive companies, all the aerospace companies, all the oil refineries, all the medical device and drug companies, all the consumer goods companies, etc. The job market out of Purdue is just amazing. After graduation, I returned to campus a few times to support recruiting and compared to the other schools we recruited at Purdue had by far the largest College recruiting fair for engineers I’ve seen. I worked for the largest Health Science company in the world at time named after two brothers. I didn’t go to Alabama to compare, but can’t imagine it is close to what Purdue has.
Finally, in the current climate, staying close to home might be better. Can you imagine trying to move home mid-semester if you had to from Alabama? It’s not that far, but my second son is sure glad he had an apartment in Chicago to leave all his stuff. The people who had dorm rooms had to vacate their dorm.
Just my two cents and I hope it helps.
I’m a biased Purdue parent but my D has never ever said she’s been “bored” on campus. She has time for theater, dating, sports, parties, and other ECs (chem e major). It’s a vibrant campus and there is so much going on every single day of the week.
The gender imbalance isn’t bad overall and in chem e, it’s 50/50 so it really does depend on your major.
I think sometimes when it’s your instate school, it doesn’t seem like an exciting option, but my D chose Purdue from OOS and thinks you’d be nuts to go to AL unless your parents really can’t afford the cost difference.
That’s the crazy thing, it looks like Alabama will be 35k cheaper overall. That’s a big difference.
nuts to go to AL unless your parents really can’t afford the cost difference.<<<<<<<<<
Right, I really don't understand this hand wringing, it is only a decision if the financials are the deal breaker. You have Purdue instate.
UA’s R&B as kind of high for the location, at >14K, whereas Purdue is 10K. That helps your math. UA would be a deal if it was a full ride, but it isn’t. UA involves $$ fro travel, instate probably not so much. But really, IS it a financial issue?
Hey thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. I’m thinking Purdue will definitely be the better option. Like you said, Purdue’s recruiting is amazing, while Alabama is not very well respected for their engineering program. There are a lot of people who would love to have instate tuition at Purdue, so for me to not take advantage of that seems foolish.
Their room and board is more, but I’ll be living off campus after my 1st year at either school
For the price difference, would it be:
- Debt?
- Paid by parents who would be stretching their budget?
- Paid by parents as if it were pocket change?
My parents said they can pay for my rent and food after my first year when I’m living off campus, but I’ll have to cover the tuition with loans. The thing is I’ll have saved enough to pay 4 years of Alabama tuition (6,000) just from my job I have now and what I’ve saved up from working the past couple years. So basically; have minimal debt at Purdue or have money saved when I graduate at Alabama.
How much is “minimal” debt? Be aware that you can only borrow $27k over four years by yourself; any extra has to be parent loan or cosigned loan.
It looks like Purdue would be stretching the finances to the max, leaving you little margin for error.
My parents said it will end up being a co-signed loan for the rest. So at Purdue I’ll need 20,000 in loans for the 1st year to cover tuition plus room and board, and then 10,000 per year in loans to cover tuition for the next 3 years. At Alabama I’ll need a loan for about 15,000 to cover tuition plus room and board for the 1st year, but the next 3 years all I have to cover is the 1,500 tuition, which like I said wouldn’t be a problem at all for me. I guess another question is how much do you think I’ll be able to make through internships and maybe even a coop?
Can you commute to Purdue from your family home?
Don’t bank on internships, period.
No, I’m 2 hours away from Purdue
Cosigned loans are generally a bad idea for both the student and the parents.
I don’t get why your parents will only pay R&B after the first year? Can you clarify? On campus at Purdue is pretty economical, it is hard to imagine your off campus housing and food costs and transport will be that much cheaper? Summer and xmas you live and home and work as many hours as possible to help save. My off campus kids have to pay their own rent and food over summer. It is the trade off of having to pay 12 months over term time only.
Yeah, one of the problems is that my parents have been really vague about how much they can help me. They said they can help me with rent, food, and travel, but then my dad said I need to get 20,000 in loans the 1st year to pay for everything.
So would you go with the cheaper option then? Because I’m going to need loans at Purdue
Sit your parents down and get some numbers, today.
did you fill out a FAFSA? If that is all they can afford, I 'm think Financial Aid would have given you something.
I’d go with the cheap option, or look at regional campuses. Two hours away has to put you within commuting distance to one of them.