My DS is trying to decide between WPI or CU Boulder for Aerospace Engineering. The schools are so different but he likes both and so do I. I am somewhat concerned he could get lost in the crowd at Boulder. We live in California so its much closer and the campus and new Aero building are amazing. But, we also like the WPI campus and their unique program.
I like WPI’s heavy project emphasis too. Costs don’t matter? BTW, did he apply to CalPoly SLO? My understanding is that they also emphasize projects and have a practical focus.
@Zimbat Have you been to campus? We were there recently and super impressed by some of the projects spaces we saw. I’m just curious how you feel about the very long drive from Boston Logan to Worcester?
Costs don’t matter. Rejected from Cal Poly SLO.
Yes. We were there on Tuesday. It was very impressive. Students looked very happy. Long drive is a minor inconvenience.
CU Boulder, no question. CU is easier to get to from California and has a top aerospace engineering program that consistently ranks among the top Nasa-funded universities in the world. CU students are also very happy and social.
To make CU feel smaller, your son could apply to the Engineering Living and Learning Community. Alternately, he could live in one of the four engineering dorms if he wants community support in a less structured way. Although I only gave you engineering-specific programs, there are numerous living and learning communities to which your son can apply.
CU Boulder.
In addition to being a top notch aerospace program, CU is a comprehensive university, so your son gets to interact with all types of students when he wants to, not just engineers like at WPI.
Also, Boulder is just a great college town, unlike Worcester. Boston is a great city, but it’s a pretty good distance from Worcester.
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I always crack up at authoritative declarations like this.
There aren’t many AE programs in the whole nation. Grads from most of them fare well. These are VERY different experiences. So yes…there is a question.
My son is a Cal Poly BS/MS grad. He agonized until two days before the deadline between Poly and WPI. Lots to like there. It’s a pretty unique program with cool project based learning and real engineering based study abroad. Personally, I’d choose WPI over Boulder, but that’s not because it’s “better” per se. It’s because I prefer the teaching style and student experience at WPI.
Did he get into any CA state schools. I ask, because cost, even if you can cash pay max price is a factor. There’s opportunity cost to that money. For example, would he be better with a degree from either of those schools or one from CSULB or CPP and a hundred grand in his pocket?
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Maybe you should look at the majors they offer at WPI before making such a statement. 
Plus, whose to say that’s a disadvantage? It depends on the student. It seems to work fairly well at Olin, MIT, Georgia Tech, etc.
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That may be an advantage or disadvantage based on personality. Like MIT/Caltech/GaTech, WPI would be full of a lot of tech/engineering geeks (though some other majors as well). It seems that many WPI students/grads loved that aspect as they feel they finally found their tribe (many having not done so in HS). WPI promises to be collaborative and very project-based.
As for costs, some CA publics may be cheaper, though since WPI tends to be quite unrestrictive when it comes to graduation requirements, you could potentially graduate earlier with AP credits if you want that.
That’s a great point. Taking more than 4 years at WPI is rare whereas taking more than 4 at Cal Poly as an example is the rule. Housing is also easier to get and far cheaper off campus around WPI vs CA (and I’d guess Boulder).
BTW, aerospace engineers from both WPI and CU have identical median salaries (according to the College Scorecard) so go with fit.
Thanks everyone. Anyone have a sense of the hands-on learning at Boulder Aerospace?
I can’t comment on that specifically. I do tend to look at Senior Projects (major Qualifying Project at WPI) if I can find them to see what sort of practical chops students develop by the time they graduate. Both look robust. The other place to look is the curricula. It’s hard to tell by CUs. You’d have to look up the individual course descriptions. The problem you’ll run into is that VERY few people will have had experience with both and it’s human nature to affirm the decisions previously made.
We visited both schools and applied to both (as well as others). We are east coast, and my DS prefers to stay close to home, so CU was dropped to a “safety” school. Also, he LOVED WPI campus when we toured.
I did not think I’d like CU, but we both thought it was great. Very impressed with the Engineering school. Agree with housing option. I liked that while we were on a big campus, Engineering can be somewhat self contained if you want it to be. We did not see the Aerospace area though, as it was down the hill away from the main campus and isn’t our focus.
Totally different vibe at each school. Hard to compare. Lastly, drive from Boston? I don’t think it’s bad, it was longer in my opinion from Denver airport to CU (and I’ve never waited in a longer, albeit quicker moving line for security!), but maybe because I’m used to the Boston area. You also have PVD and Worcester airports as options.
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