I am a bit of a NE skeptic, mostly because some of their admission strategies and growth plans. I would consider how their decision to allow students who are admitted at Oakland or London to transfer to Boston after one year (which was not their original intention) might affect resources at an already crowded campus, as well as access to coops. I would also research what coops would be available to a student with your child’s interests, which a bit more unique. I’ve heard complaints that coop placement is also getting more difficult as the school grows in population. That said, I have a family member who is graduating with a computer science major that is happy with their experience.
I almost don’t place much weight on NE’s having particular overseas expertise. Every major college has excellent study abroad programs these days and I believe UCSB happens to house the study abroad program office for the entire uc system.