Pitt (19K) vs Boston University (48K) for biomedical engineering?

aquapt
Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:21:15 +0000

We see Pitt and BU juxtaposed on these forums quite a bit. The undergraduate population size is about the same. The urban setting in a fun student city is similar. Reputationally, while BU has an edge in the USNews rankings, it isn’t a terribly meaningful one; both are very well-respected and neither is uber-elite. (To triangulate for comparison, Rutgers is essentially tied with BU in the rankings, yet many kids - especially New Jersey kids - would pick Pitt over Rutgers in a heartbeat. My point is, the true reputational differences in this range are debatable - all are excellent and what’s better for a given student will depend on individual preferences, specific programs, etc.)

I’m a BU grad, and in the [redacted-'cause-it’s-painful, lol] years since I attended, I’ve been both admired and looked down upon for going there, depending on who’s doing the looking. Most reactions are in between - it’s respected, but not idolatrous, Ivy-level respect. And I think Pitt is the same way.

So IMHO, it comes down to preference and cost. If costs are similar, preference wins the day. But for a 2.5x increment in cost? And not even a clear, strong preference for the more expensive school? Save the money!

The out of pocket can vary so much. There are students in the opposite situation - a kid who’s eligible for need-based aid and doesn’t live in PA could pay much less for BU than for Pitt, and in that case I’d say, go to BU! But for your situation, why?

All of which is a long-winded way of saying, you’re not missing anything; your student can get a top-notch education and have a fantastic experience at either one, and there’s no reason to pay more than double for one over the other. The fact that your daughter is actually “feeling” Pitt slightly more only makes the decision that much easier. Congrats!