I think that the Co-op decision is high on the list because that is the culture at NEU, most all the students are doing
Co-op so people are sort of coming and going and that is the norm.
My son applied and was accepted to RIT and UR, a mere 20 min drive from each other. However RIT is a Co-op school and when he met with the director, he felt the focus was too much on getting a job and not just learning what there is to learn.
Now, UR is big on research and he is not into research either, though many of his friends are. He chose UR because he felt he fit better with the students. UR is a science school with a liberal arts addition. Due to the open curriculum, ME students take 3 ME classes and one what ever they want class a semester. They only have to take 3-4 classes in a single focus area called a cluster and because the load was not that heavy, he took extra 2-4 credit classes when he could.
The freedom to explore his other interests was a better fit. No other engineering school that he wanted to apply to had that flexibility of curriculum. So that was the draw. Rochester is a city and has some of the benefits one gets in a city but since it is not a busy hectic city, that was a better fit for him as well.
Good luck to your son, I’m sure he’ll do great where ever he goes.