I agree with a lot of the points PengsPhils made, but I want to clarify some and add my own points.
I made this same decision two years ago so I can speak to you from a point of view that could be quite beneficial. Why is name brand important? Essentially to get that stellar job after you graduate, right? The thing is that with NEU’s co-op program, if you work hard enough and be as much of an opportunist as possible you will be able to pack on those stellar names from as early on as your 2nd year of college which is an invaluable opportunity. With all of the experience gathered on your resume by the time you graduate, the college you attended will not even matter as much. However, that point can be disputed considering how rapidly Northeastern has been growing as of late. PengsPhils mentioned that you can get paid $20-$30, but for the first co-op I would say you would more realistically get paid around $15-$17 which is not to discourage you from shooting for top brand name companies like Apple and KPMG. It all depends on how much work you’ve put in.
I do agree that the faculty at BU and the alumni network are much more reputable. That is something that cannot be refuted. Also, BU is more campus-centric as most students are involved in campus organizations while at Northeastern most of the population is not involved with campus clubs. There is not much community/unity with Northeastern, because many kids are constantly leaving campus and going abroad, on co-op, or on a dialogue and it gets hard to maintain consistency with clubs (e-board for most clubs changes every semester). There are a couple weekends in September when the campus is lively and everyone is out on the quad but when it gets colder it becomes less and less unlikely to see a noticeable campus culture. The rest of the time, everyone is basically doing their own thing. Most clubs are just developing (for being one of the top 20 business schools, we just got business frats established last year) but you could be part of the process to bring your ideas to grow student life and further develop clubs!
Also, co-op does nOT mean you won’t get the college experience. More students than you would imagine do co-op in Boston and attend club meetings and campus events after work. At the end of the day, you need to decide based on what mindset you have going into college. Do you want to develop professionally and gain invaluable work experience while also going to school on a well-defined campus in one of the most amazing cities in America while learning from some of the best of the best? Or do you prefer the classic college experience while learning from some amazing professors, a booming student life, but a scattered campus? (Sorry, I’m a bit biased!) Both are fantastic schools and I wish you the best of luck in this decision!