<p>My son a senior, is considering applying to Drexel, Villanova, and Penn State for Civil Engineering. I'm wondering if Drexel is known outside of the Philadelphia area. In other words if he wanted to work in New York, or say Chicago, would the corporations have heard of Drexel and is the school respected? Also any thoughts on Villanova or Penn State's enginering program would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>hi basemom. Drexel is a well respected school in the Northeast as the large majority of its students come from PA, NJ and NY. [Where</a> Does Your Freshman Class Come From? - Facts & Figures - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/Where-Does-Your-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=212054]Where”>http://chronicle.com/article/Where-Does-Your-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=212054)</p>
<p>As to comparing engineering programs at the schools you mention, you might try posting on the engineering forum here [Engineering</a> Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/]Engineering”>Engineering Majors - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>One thing that distinguishes Drexel is the coop education model. Most students choose a 5 year, 3 coop program which includes three 6 months coops. By doing coops your student gains real world experience that can help them obtain a permanent job. You can read about it here. <a href=“http://www.drexel.edu/undergrad/coop/[/url]”>http://www.drexel.edu/undergrad/coop/</a></p>
<p>Northeastern in Boston also offers coop and is more well known in New England.</p>
<p>I go to Drexel and am from Massachusetts, I would say that most people in the MA area have heard of Drexel but do not know anything about it. The reason for this is that Northeastern pretty much dominates the New England area when it comes to schools with a co-op program. The thing with having a co-op program is that your school really doesn’t matter that much, by the time you graduate you could have worked for three different companies. If other companies don’t recognize the school, they will recognize the companies you worked for. In the long run, work experience is much more important than your school.</p>