<p>Hey guys! I've been accepted to UMass Amherst and Northeastern for engineering and I need help deciding which school to go to. I plan on majoring in chemical engineering with a biochemical engineering minor/concentration because I would like work in pharmaceuticals or biotech. Does one school have faculty/ opportunities better geared toward my goals or are they about the same?</p>
<p>I really like Northeastern because of the co-op program and its location in Boston, but it is also very expensive. It will cost me around 200k for all five years there if I do not get financial aid after my freshman year.</p>
<p>I also like UMass because Amherst is a nice town and it seems like there is a lot to do. The Five Colleges program also seems neat. As an in-state student UMass would be much cheaper, especially since I qualified for free tuition. Overall it would cost me just under 80k for four years.</p>
<p>I have visited both schools and I like them both but I need other opinions. Will one school benefit grad school admissions over the other? Does one school typically have a higher starting salary? Do the same/similar companies hire students from each school? Any opinions/ insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>IMO Northeastern is not worth the $120K premium over UMass. UMass has an excellent engineering program (top-rated public program in New England). Why do you think you would not get finaid from NEU after Freshman year?</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. I’m leaning toward UMass because it is cheaper but would I be at a disadvantage if I wanted to work for a company in the city? And I received basically no financial aid from neu at all. I would have a chance next year though because I will have a brother in school, but im not sure if it will make a huge difference.</p>
<p>NO–there is a big UMass contingent working in Boston–it is after all the state university, right? You gotta think with your wallet, not your heart. No school is worth 120K out of pocket if you’re not wealthy.</p>
<p>That’s true, I guess I was caught up with the fact that many co-ops through neu are in Boston, which could make it easier to get a job. But paying the 120k extra for neu doesn’t seem like it will pay itself back in the long run. I am definitely leaning toward umass now. I’ll make my decision after visiting again at the open house. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>That’s great! This is also some assurance that may make UMass my decision. Also, do you know what your son’s average class(engineering) sizes are?</p>
<p>My daughter just went through the same analysis (different major though) and UMASS Amherst tuition is a bargain compared to higher cost private and OOS schools (especially if you don’t get much for aid from other schools). Note that the undergraduate engineering program at UMASS Amherst is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as tied for 56th in the country among schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, ranked higher than other area schools, such as Boston University, Tufts University, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Northeastern University. UMASS Amherst does sound like the best bet. Good luck!</p>
<p>UMass better than Tufts, BU, WIT or NU for Engineering is a joke!. So of these rating services are so wrong that you wonder if someone is paying someone.</p>
<p>Yes. The rankings do sometimes seem peculiar. Someone mentioned UCONN is ranked 69 along with VA Tech and NU. Perhaps they comparing the Honors program at UCONN? It was also really a surprise to see BC was ranked 31? and NU 69. How can people be saying NU is on par with such a discrepancy!</p>
You will probably never know since OP has not posted here in six years, but I hope he saved the $120K difference. The choice of college matters to a small extent in your first job. After that, it’s about how good you are. Of course, the $120K matters more to some rather than others.