I am fortunate to be accepted to UNC Chapel Hill and Rutgers. My other decisions have not come out yet (I’ve applied to some other universities).
Background: Money is not really an issue for my family (putting this in context-- I probably do not qualify for financial aid), but it would still be nice to consider money as a factor (though perhaps not the deciding factor) in my decisions. I am from the West Coast, planning on majoring in Biology.
UNC-CH – I would be paying OOS tuition. ~$50,360/yr [1]
Rutgers NB – I would be paying OOS tuition, but I’ve received some scholarships. ~$19,575/yr
UNC:
Pros:
I’m in love with the campus.
Considerably higher ranking than Rutgers by both Forbes and the US News Report.
School spirit.
Proximity to Research Triangle.
Cons:
The cost in comparison to Rutgers.
The majority of students attending are from NC, perhaps contributing to a more homogenous student culture. (I’m not sure though, this is just speculation.)
Rutgers:
Pros:
Relative proximity to NYC and Pittsburgh.
Student body is more diverse than UNC’s.
Cons:
From the virtual tours I’ve seen of Rutgers, I’m not completely in love with its campus.
The 4-year graduation rate is not very high, at 59% [2]
UNC. This shouldn’t even be a question, as the two schools can’t compare. OOS students at UNC have a far better experience than OOS students at Rutgers. Plus, if you’re so concerned about 80%+ of UNC students being from NC, why don’t you care about 90%+ of Rutgers students being from NJ? North Carolina is also a much more fun state to live in than New Jersey.
UNC’s OOS costs may be higher, but UNC OOS is worth even more than Rutgers would be in state. UNC is the obvious choice.
What are the other options? Do you live in CA? WA? OR?
Seriously, unless your parents are very well-off, or have set aside $200,000 for your undergraduate education, I would not choose either school over a UC (or Cal Poly SLO) if I were a CA resident or UW for a Washington one.
Also, this …
… needs a LOT of fleshing out. Not qualifying for financial aid from a public university is status quo for plenty of middle-income families. That doesn’t mean they have $200,000 readily available to fund a degree that will likely require graduate study.
What are your career goals? Are you premed or thinking grad school? Two very different equations. Try to think beyond the next four years. The time to discuss your parents’ budget was BEFORE you applied to any of these schools, but there’s still plenty of time to sit down with them and make sure you’re all on the same page, and that that page is a realistic one for you, and them.
There’s no question UNC would be a lot nicer place to study than Rutgers, but it will also cost ~$120,000 more to complete your degree. Is that chump change for your family or could it be a nice down payment on your first home? Will UNC require your taking out any sizable loans? If so, don’t forget to factor in debt service on those loans.
Thanks for the advice. I am an OR resident, but I did not apply to any state schools. I plan on being premed.
When I talked to my parents, they made it pretty clear that they were more than able to pay for my education. In fact, when bringing up the possibility of attending the UCs for instance (which are quite expensive for OOS) they said it was not an issue and that I should not worry about it.
According to my parents, no. No loans at all will be taken.
Medical school is VERY expensive. Would your parents be willing to put that $120,000 towards funding med school if you choose Rutgers over UNC now?
If medical school will be completely on you and no loans will be required for your undergraduate years (and paying for your education won’t jeopardize your parents’ retirement), then I would head to UNC and not look back.
I’d still love to know what your other options are, however!
All great schools, @naicha. I would wait and see what the net cost is for those you’re accepted to and then proceed. At the minimum, you have two terrific options.
Why did you apply to any public schools in your own state? University of Oregon and Oregon State are both good schools. I mean, I understand money being no object, but I also don’t understand paying if you don’t have to.
If you have unlimited resources then UNC is a better school than Rutgers. But I would talk to your parents first. Them saying “Pick where you want” in August before you’ve applied anywhere can be a different mental calculus than actually seeing that they’d have to pay $200,000 when they could be paying $80,000 to put you in another excellent school, especially if you intend medical school and your undergrad won’t matter.
UNC Chapel Hill is better, but Rutgers is cheaper.
As of right now, choose Rutgers as a safety and wait for financial aid before committing to UNC Chapel Hill
Data
Niche Ranking- UNC CH=A+ Rutgers NB=A
Rutgers-New Brunswick is a Significantly Larger School: (48,378 vs. 29,135 Total Students)
North Carolina-Chapel Hill is Significantly More Difficult to Get In: (28.5% vs. 60.5% Acceptance Rate)
North Carolina-Chapel Hill Offers Considerably Cheaper In-State Tuition: ($8,336 vs. $13,813)
Rutgers-New Brunswick Offers Slightly Cheaper Out-of-State Tuition: ($28,591 vs. $33,418)
Rutgers-New Brunswick Provides Slightly Better Freshmen Financial Aid: (71% vs. 67% of Eligible Freshmen Receive Aid)
North Carolina-Chapel Hill Students Graduate More in 6 Years: (89% vs. 79% Graduation Rate)
Rutgers-New Brunswick Students Earn Much More Salary Post-Graduation: ($50,000 vs. $44,100 Median Salary)
North Carolina-Chapel Hill Has Slightly Smaller Class Sizes: (13:1 vs. 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio)
