College selection-NEU or OSU

[bulbul]

My son received admission from Northeastern University and the Ohio State University for Computer Science major. As a Ohio resident, which one is a better choice? Both my wife and me are first generation immigrants, and we did not have any experience in selecting a university in US. Any suggestion or comments will be really appreciated!

[Normchad]

My son received admission from Northeastern University and the Ohio State University for Computer Science major. As a Ohio resident, which one is a better choice? Both my wife and me are first generation immigrants, and we did not have any experience in selecting a university in US. Any suggestion or comments will be really appreciated!

Full disclosure, I’ve got a computer engineering degree from UMich.

Go to Ohio State. They have an excellent program with a good reputation. And staying in state should save some money as well.

[Vulcan]

My son received admission from Northeastern University and the Ohio State University for Computer Science major. As a Ohio resident, which one is a better choice? Both my wife and me are first generation immigrants, and we did not have any experience in selecting a university in US. Any suggestion or comments will be really appreciated!

These two schools are comparable academically for CS.

What is your net price for NEU?

[Pdxnative]

Both are good programs.

The NEU coop system is sort of unique; some love it, some don’t. In some fields it can help a lot with getting the sort of professional experience with internships that early undergrads might have trouble securing without guidance. In CS this is usually less of an issue, but it can be nice to have the school helping with those opps in the first few years. Anyway, NEU has a good reputation for CS teaching/curriculum. I know they sometimes offer good merit scholarships so it’s possible the price difference isn’t that great?

If the price is close and both are affordable I’d visit both and see which your son likes better.

[Jack FFR1846]

I would expect Northeastern to be way more expensive than your in state public college. Within Mass, it's about double what in state UMass costs. It's a private university and is pretty in line with other Boston private universities, cost wise. It also is a 5 year Bachelors with several term long co-ops along the way. Being a co-op veteran myself (not from NU), I know I learned some valuable things I never would have just sticking with on campus learning. I changed my specialty because of what I observed during my co-op. Of course, co-ops are paid. That's the upside. The downside? FAFSA now sees student earning if there's chance for need based aid. I don't know CS but DW graduated with a BSN from NU.

[GreendaleCC]

By no means am I knocking Northeastern, but hopefully everyone knows that the school’s leadership is well-known for masterfully gaming the US News college rankings: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/201 ... -rankings/

[bulbul]

These two schools are comparable academically for CS.

What is your net price for NEU?

We do not know the net price yet for NEU. However, we do not expect much financial aid. From OSU, there will be about $2000 per year.

[Vulcan]

These two schools are comparable academically for CS.

What is your net price for NEU?

We do not know the net price yet for NEU. However, we do not expect much financial aid. From OSU, there will be about $2000 per year.

You can get a pretty good idea of your net price by running the school's Net Price Calculator.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/northeastern

In fact, it's a good idea to do that before applying.

At full total cost of attendance of $80K/yr NEU would be very hard to justify if your other option is OSU at less than a quarter of that price.

[uaeebs86]

Unless Northeastern comes up with some incredible financial aid, I don't see how you can justify the price of a private school vs. your in-state school.

I doubt there's a huge difference academically (I actually took one remote course at Northeastern years ago). It's not MIT down the street.

[bulbul]

I have to correct myself about the majors. For OSU, the major is Computer & Information Science in the College of Arts and Science. For NEU, the major is Computer Science and Mathematics in the college of Computer Sciences.

[bulbul]

You can get a pretty good idea of your net price by running the school's Net Price Calculator.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/northeastern

In fact, it's a good idea to do that before applying.

At full total cost of attendance of $80K/yr NEU would be very hard to justify if your other option is OSU at less than a quarter of that price.

Thanks for the good information. Would the co-op program at NEU help save some money?

[Vulcan]

You can get a pretty good idea of your net price by running the school's Net Price Calculator.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/northeastern

In fact, it's a good idea to do that before applying.

At full total cost of attendance of $80K/yr NEU would be very hard to justify if your other option is OSU at less than a quarter of that price.

Thanks for the good information. Would the co-op program at NEU help save some money?

NEU is not one of the few school for which this kind of a price tag can be justified on the face of it, in my opinion.

[Vulcan]

I have to correct myself about the majors. For OSU, the major is Computer & Information Science in the College of Arts and Science. For NEU, the major is Computer Science and Mathematics in the college of Computer Sciences.

Did he apply to CS at OSU?

[bulbul]

I have to correct myself about the majors. For OSU, the major is Computer & Information Science in the College of Arts and Science. For NEU, the major is Computer Science and Mathematics in the college of Computer Sciences.

Did he apply to CS at OSU?

He applied for Computer and information science (CIS) at OSU. I believe the CS major is in the engineering college.

[bulbul]

I have to correct myself about the majors. For OSU, the major is Computer & Information Science in the College of Arts and Science. For NEU, the major is Computer Science and Mathematics in the college of Computer Sciences.

Did he apply to CS at OSU?

He applied for Computer and information science (CIS) at OSU. I believe the CS major is in the engineering college.

Copied from OSU website:

Computer science and engineering (CSE) jointly offered in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the College of Engineering: almost identical to the CIS major, with additional math and engineering courses and fewer general education courses.

[Vulcan]

Copied from OSU website:

Computer science and engineering (CSE) jointly offered in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the College of Engineering: almost identical to the CIS major, with additional math and engineering courses and fewer general education courses.

Presumably he made the decision that he prefers CIS to CSE.

That would then be another point in OSU's favor if that's the case.

[bulbul]

Presumably he made the decision that he prefers CIS to CSE.

That would then be another point in OSU's favor if that's the case.

He just felt it would be easier to get into CIS compared to CSE. The CSE is more competitive because it is in the engineering department.

[gtrplayer]

I’m not an expert on either school. Ohio State University is definitely well-known in my part of the country and Northeastern is not as well-known. That may not matter if he wants to live in that region.

But I’m a firm believer that excessive college debt is harmful. I went to a private school and it may have had some advantages but if I could go back, I likely would have chosen a cheaper public school. And the college I went to has doubled in price since then.

Without knowing the prices, and knowing that Ohio State is a well-respected public university, I’d go with Ohio State. If NEU comes back with a competitive financial aid package, then I would compare the two programs and decide based on that.

[Metsfan91]

If you can afford the cost, let him go to NEU.

[Metsfan91]

Presumably he made the decision that he prefers CIS to CSE.

That would then be another point in OSU's favor if that's the case.

He just felt it would be easier to get into CIS compared to CSE. The CSE is more competitive because it is in the engineering department.

He seems to have noted correctly...OSU is a large university - a lot more students - more competition. CS majors may have to wait in a queue for their turn to take CS courses. NEU might be easier in this regard.

[thedaybeforetoday]

Much more aware of NEU vs OSU personally.

If possible, visit both campuses. NEU is very urban, although its a really nice campus for the most part with convenient transportation options (commuter rail and the T both right at the campus), it is in a major U.S. city with all the pros and cons of Boston (apt. building style dorms) vs a college town. Although NEU does a nice job of minimizing the cons and maximizing the pros.

NEU will be much more $ than OSU. The co-op format at NEU may make it worth the extra for some; this seems individual. If your son got into the honors program at either school, compare the benefits of those programs (these vary widely). Honors programs, when done well, can shrink a large school like OSU, but not familiar with OSU's.

Our son got into NEU, among other private U's in Boston and surrounding area, and while the others made school affordable via financial aid after merit $, NEU offered him substantial merit but very little financial aid. NEU is kind of known for being an expensive school from a net cost perspective. Toured the campus and liked the place but in the end he went elsewhere as the cost difference couldn't be justified as other schools had internships and were smaller/better fit for him with less of a city feel.

[Random Musings]

OSU without a doubt. Plus, with the savings, you could throw in a Master's degree and it still would be cheaper unless NEU will throw you a big financial aid merit package (which is highly unlikely).

RM

[WarAdmiral]

Both are good programs.

The NEU coop system is sort of unique; some love it, some don’t. In some fields it can help a lot with getting the sort of professional experience with internships that early undergrads might have trouble securing without guidance. In CS this is usually less of an issue, but it can be nice to have the school helping with those opps in the first few years. Anyway, NEU has a good reputation for CS teaching/curriculum. I know they sometimes offer good merit scholarships so it’s possible the price difference isn’t that great?

If the price is close and both are affordable I’d visit both and see which your son likes better.

This! I spend 20 years working around boston area and in almost every company, every summer we had co-ops and interns from NEU coop system ( not from BU, not from MIT or harvard or tufts) - who would eventually convert to full time. With a CS degree - you chances of landing a coop or internship in kendell square (300 companies) area is pretty high

[Arabesque]

If he goes to NEU, he is more likely to stay in the northeast. All those Kendall Sq. jobs and startup excitement. If he goes to OSU, he is more likely to settle nearer you. Not a given, but a consideration if family is important.

[YERER01]

OSU is definitely a better school. Without a doubt.

[gclancer]

My son received admission from Northeastern University and the Ohio State University for Computer Science major. As a Ohio resident, which one is a better choice? Both my wife and me are first generation immigrants, and we did not have any experience in selecting a university in US. Any suggestion or comments will be really appreciated!

Full disclosure, I’ve got a computer engineering degree from UMich.

Go to Ohio State. They have an excellent program with a good reputation. And staying in state should save some money as well.

This is a ringing endorsement coming from a Michigan Man!

[Vulcan]

I spend 20 years working around boston area and in almost every company, every summer we had co-ops and interns from NEU coop system ( not from BU, not from MIT or harvard or tufts) - who would eventually convert to full time.

This could mean one of two things:

1. NEU students are more sought-after than Harvard/MIT students.
2. Harvard/MIT students have more choices (including outside Boston area) than NEU students.

[Vulcan]

This could mean one of two things:

1. NEU students are more sought-after than Harvard/MIT students.
2. Harvard/MIT students have more choices (including outside Boston area) than NEU students.

"The estimated total pay for a Co-Op at Northeastern University is $21 per hour."

And you have to take a semester off?

I think I know the answer to that.

[bulbul]

I really appreciate everyone's inputs here. My son has visited the OSU campus a while ago, and I am planning to bring him to visit the NEU campus. Personally I kind of favor OSU after reading all comments and suggestion. However, I will let himself to make the final decision.

[campy2010]

This conversation makes no sense in the absence of a cost/aid comparison. Around Boston, NEU is seen as an expensive middle of the pack type school (the competition is steep with MIT and Harvard nearby). The primary upside is that there are plenty of places nearby to do co-ops and internships and there is a large and lively student population. The primary downside is that Boston is an expensive place, especially related to food and housing. The student housing around NEU is old, dilapidated and generally owned by slumlords. They move students in an out on overlapping Sept 1 leases with no upkeep or cleaning in between. It is a safe bet that navigating the yearly Sept 1 moving cycle from Ohio will likely cause some headaches. Expect to spend 4x rent moving into any apartment (first, last, deposit, and 1 month rent as a broker fee).

[randomguy]

I spend 20 years working around boston area and in almost every company, every summer we had co-ops and interns from NEU coop system ( not from BU, not from MIT or harvard or tufts) - who would eventually convert to full time.

This could mean one of two things:

1. NEU students are more sought-after than Harvard/MIT students.
2. Harvard/MIT students have more choices (including outside Boston area) than NEU students.

I vote for 2 but that is with limited silicon valley experience. We would send recruiters to MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Dartmouth and the like where we had connections and would be a lot more aggressive at both interns and full time hires. We never had a need to go outside those dozen or so schools.

If price is even, I could see picking either school based on student prefs. I wouldn't pay 40k more for NEU..

[HereToLearn]

This could mean one of two things:

1. NEU students are more sought-after than Harvard/MIT students.
2. Harvard/MIT students have more choices (including outside Boston area) than NEU students.

"The estimated total pay for a Co-Op at Northeastern University is $21 per hour."

And you have to take a semester off?

I think I know the answer to that.

NEU is very generous in awarding AP credit. A family member worked two co-ops and graduated within four years due to AP credits. She also received a $7K/semester merit award, so the total four year cost was three years of tuition minus $14K/year. Housing & food costs were incurred during the co-op semesters. University housing is very constrained so most students live off campus in expensive rentals their last two years.

I am not a fan of how they have been gaming the system, with their EA, EDI, EDII & RD rounds plus liberal use of NU Global, N.U.in, and the Oakland and London campuses this year.

[Vulcan]

NEU is very generous in awarding AP credit.

Looks like it, indeed: they give credit for virtually every AP course, with 4 or above on the AP test.

https://admissions.northeastern.edu/wp- ... Credit.pdf

For comparison, MIT only gives credit for some AP courses, and only with a 5 on the AP test.

https://firstyear.mit.edu/academics-exp ... placement/

If you want more, you have to take Advanced Standing Exams.

https://firstyear.mit.edu/academics-exp ... ing-exams/

A family member worked two co-ops and graduated within four years due to AP credits.

That's good - but that also means that without coops they could have graduated in three. When you consider opportunity costs, coops semesters lose some of their luster. Assuming, of course, there are opportunities.

[Vulcan]

When you consider opportunity costs, coops semesters lose some of their luster. Assuming, of course, there are opportunities.

Just to give an idea why top CS students aren't too eager to take a semester off to make fast food-level wages:

https://www.levels.fyi/internships/

Multiply that by two for full-time offers.

[HereToLearn]

A family member worked two co-ops and graduated within four years due to AP credits.

That's good - but that also means that without coops they could have graduated in three. When you consider opportunity costs, coops semesters lose some of their luster. Assuming, of course, there are opportunities.

Perhaps? Impossible to know. Did the school year co-ops open doors to the summer internship that then converted to a full-time offer?

Some students need the structure to assist in their job searches, others do not.

[Vulcan]

When you consider opportunity costs, coops semesters lose some of their luster. Assuming, of course, there are opportunities.

Perhaps? Impossible to know. Did the school year co-ops open doors to the summer internship that then converted to a full-time offer?

Some students need the structure to assist in their job searches, others do not.

I am just saying that "I didn't see any MIT students in our local coops" may be telling something different about MIT students than what was intended.

[bulbul]

Estimated net price:
OSU-$26,451
NEU-$81,472+ (not sure how to estimate the cost in London)

Difference-$55,000+

[Pdxnative]

Estimated net price:
OSU-$26,451
NEU-$81,472+ (not sure how to estimate the cost in London)

Difference-$55,000+

Unless some merit money comes through to reduce NEU below 40k I wouldn’t even consider it. Unless the difference in cost isn’t very meaningful for you.

[thedaybeforetoday]

Estimated net price:
OSU-$26,451
NEU-$81,472+ (not sure how to estimate the cost in London)

Difference-$55,000+

Northeastern is known for charging students from outside the U.S. full price.

[tnf]

By no means am I knocking Northeastern, but hopefully everyone knows that the school’s leadership is well-known for masterfully gaming the US News college rankings: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/201 ... -rankings/

Thank you for posting a link to this article. It helped me be more aware of the marketing game being played by universities in the pursuit of tuition dollars. I guess Capitalism can claim the gullible guilt-free.

Have you come across any critiques of the Federal College Ranking? (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/) Realize I need to stay informed for a future college enrolee.

[wrendan]

My son received admission from Northeastern University and the Ohio State University for Computer Science major. As a Ohio resident, which one is a better choice? Both my wife and me are first generation immigrants, and we did not have any experience in selecting a university in US. Any suggestion or comments will be really appreciated!

IMO OSU is a far superior school than Northeastern being one of the best public universities in the country. While being in Boston may be a fun experience, Northeastern is not worth the cost unless there is substantial scholarship money making it comparable to OSU.

[Harmanic]

This could mean one of two things:

1. NEU students are more sought-after than Harvard/MIT students.
2. Harvard/MIT students have more choices (including outside Boston area) than NEU students.

"The estimated total pay for a Co-Op at Northeastern University is $21 per hour."

And you have to take a semester off?

I think I know the answer to that.

CS majors make $35 to $40 per hour average.

[twh]

No brainer...go to the in state school.

[Sconie]

Personally, I'd take any of the Big Ten schools over NEU.

[TechieTechie]

As someone who spent 20 years in the field (and interviewed campus candidates right and left) newly minted college graduates w. real world IT experience brings your resume to the top of the pile. But, as someone who lived those same 20 years in Boston, NEU is in the middle of one of the most expensive COL areas of the country. The area around NEU has gentrified immensely over those same 20 years, so they'd better be prepared for a long hike to class, horrid apartments, or being packed in like a sardine. And the latter is no joke....students have died b/c their 'apartment' lacked proper egress. But I disgress.

NEU does a great job of placing their students....but it's an dang expensive semester. For an engineer, NEU is probably worth the $$$ tradeoff...other majors, think long and hard. Being saddled with a crapton of student debt will impact them for years, if not decades.

For the price differential, your child could easily take an unpaid internship every summer and still come out ahead. I'd push OSU hard about what they (and their massive alumni network, who are normally pretty involved alumni) do to place their students in summer internships. And, I'd want to talk to students who have interned. If OSU is good about facilitating internship placements, then IMHO OSU is a no brainer.

[guyfromct]

A well regarded state flagship versus a middling, vastly overpriced private. Ohio State is a no brainier.

[cbs2002]

OSU. And I’m from Michigan too!

Columbus is not a bad place to be either. Booming smaller city with lots to do.

[Journeyman510]

Unlike many people on this site, I don't have a knee jerk reaction against private school. I'm an Ivy League graduate and would have no qualms paying for any of my kids to attend a private school of that caliber.

NEU is not academically better than OSU in my opinion so it isn't worth the added cost.

[Journeyman510]

OSU without a doubt. Plus, with the savings, you could throw in a Master's degree and it still would be cheaper unless NEU will throw you a big financial aid merit package (which is highly unlikely).

RM

There is little value in a masters in CS these days.

[8301]

Unlike many people on this site, I don't have a knee jerk reaction against private school. I'm an Ivy League graduate and would have no qualms paying for any of my kids to attend a private school of that caliber.

NEU is not academically better than OSU in my opinion so it isn't worth the added cost.

^^^
I would choose a decent state college over an average private college even at the same cost unless my goal is to form a network with those who are well connected.
Example:
UCLA vs. USC
Georgia Tech vs. Emory
Lehigh vs. Penn State