“I wouldn’t be wildly inclined to take out a bunch of debt if you have a solid, low cost, in state option.” - Ditto.
I’m a big fan of Northeastern (so much so that I accidentally typed it in a Northwestern thread yesterday). Also RPI was pretty cool too when we visited in 2009. DH and I (both Clarkson grads) were impressed. DH had taken some RPI courses around 1980 while in the nearby community college … in those days it was VERY competitive - now it seems more collaborative.
Even though I like the Northeastern and RPI options, it does not seem worth saddling your son with $60K of debt when you have a strong in-state option. Sure…you paid off your own NYU loans. But your son might someday wish he did NOT have nearly $1000/month loan payments. It limits flexibility of choices. At age 18, he might not know what he’s getting into unless you study the numbers together.