Currently I am stuck between UBuff or PSU for CS. I was accepted to PSU on a 2+2 program which means I would have to spend two years at Harrisburg. I visited both Harrisburg and UBuff campuses and I like UBuff more. My cost for UBuff is 28k IS vs PSU 42k OOS. My parents are able to pay the OOS cost easily however I would not like to spend two years at Harrisburg, if it was 4 years at University Park, I’d immediately accept PSU. Is the name for PSU really that much more worth it to possibly endure a less fun first two years in the middle of nowhere and pay 14k more?
I don’t know. I like UB. I think it’s an underrated school and having the resources of a city like Buffalo right there is a big plus. You save even more with cheap rent you can’t get at Happy Valley. I know both schools well , and though PSU has more name recognition, more amenities and better put together infrastructure , the fundamental academics and opportunies at Buffalo are way up there. It’s an undervalued school IMO.
No , I’d prefer to stay 4 years at UB over 2 at a satellite campus abd finishing up at University Campus.
If you do well at UB, you can apply to transfer to PSU if you still want to go there. You are not losing out on a scholarship or anything at PS, are you? You’d save money that way too
cptofthehouse, I do not qualify for any financial aid, nor did I receive any merit scholarships.
So, you save money going to UB over PSU Harrisburg even. It hurts to pay that OOS premium for a satellite campus. For PSU, I can understand.
I’d try UB. You aren’t going to lose on quality of academics. Better off than at Harrisburg. The key is to do very well to be transfer material if you want to give PSU the last two years of UG studies and get your degree from there
You prefer Buffalo, it is a fine school, and it is cheaper. Seems like an easy choice to me.
@horrorzzz University at Buffalo has one of the strongest CS programs out of all the SUNYs. You do well there and you should have no problem finding employment upon graduation. Besides it’s steong CS program, UB has a lot of nice academic and recreational facilities, more rah rah spirit than any of the other SUNYs, competitive Division 1 football and basketball teams that you can enjoy watching and rooting for on fall Saturdays and winter term if you wish. And UB is at much less cost. IMO it makes no sense to pay approximately $30,000 more over the first two years to attend a satellite campus (Harrisburg) of Penn State that you recognize is not preferable to UB.
I agree with the above. Don’t pay extra to go to a worse fit for you.
@horrorzzz My son was in the same situation as you (but for engineering). He was accepted to both UB and PSU plus others. PSU quickly did not become an option based solely on the 2+2 and paying OOS tuition for a branch campus. Plus why disrupt your studies to transfer over to a new environment after two years? UB has an established CS program and the costs will help avoid mounting debt.