Curious if anyone has any thoughts on the engineering schools at Rutgers and Rowan? Planning on Mechanical Engineering. Also, anyone familiar with Rutgers-Camden? Looking into 2+2 Pre-Engineering transfer program to save some money. Both Rowan and Rutgers-Camden would cost around the same for me after merit aid, but assuming NB will be more expensive.
How big is the cost difference to you and your family? I.e. will it involve substantially more debt or cutbacks in other household financial plans (including college for any younger siblings or parent retirement savings and investments)?
The Camden-to-NB 2+2 does mean two years of the lower cost and two years of the higher cost if you do transfer (requires a 3.0 GPA and C+ or higher in each technical course), so Rowan at the lower cost for all four years should be the lowest cost overall.
Why not go somewhere all four years?
Rowan is ABET accredited.
Rowan says 97% are placed within 6 months of graduation with a $69K average salary.
Rutgers says they place 91% after 6 months with a median salary of $78K.
Not sure why you wouldn’t engage in one school and enjoy your four year experience instead of starting and re-starting.
I suppose Rowan’s program will be smaller - but that’s it.
ABET accredited programs really help reduce any significant differences - they help equalize in many ways.yiu can secure similar jobs at both if you hustle.
EDIT - adding the official Rutgers page vs their LinkedIn which shows $78k median but 91% successful outcomes after 6 months.
I deleted the LinkedIn post. That might have been total university.
If affordable, I’d choose between 4 years at Rutgers NB or Rowan – whichever you prefer. I think there is an advantage (both socially and academically) to staying at one college.
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Rutgers offers 10 engineering majors. That’s a distinct advantage over Rowan, which offers 6. In the event you decide not to pursue mechanical, you have more options at Rutgers.
Rutgers has 1000 classes with more than 40 students. Rowan has fewer than 30. If you prefer to learn in smaller classes with greater opportunity to interact with your professor, Rowan offers a distinct advantage in this regard.
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I would pick 4 years at Rowan, which is an excellent STEM university with several ABET accredited Engineering majors, especially if the cost is similar to 2 years in Camden then 2 years in NB, because (assuming you’d live in the dorms or choose the Engineering LLC) you’ll have more time to form relationships with peers, potentially with professors (or join a research project), participate in campus life…
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The cost difference wouldn’t be too significant, although I am trying to graduate with as little debt as possible. Rowan and Rutgers-Camden would both cost around 10k per year, but Rutgers-NB would likely be more expensive, like you said. No siblings or major budget cuts required, so it really comes down to which one I prefer.
Yeah, going to Rowan for four years would definitely be simpler. I suppose going the Rutgers-Camden route would allow me to be under the Rutgers umbrella and would make it cheaper than NB for four years. I should also add that where I am in NJ, the commute to Rutgers NB would be painful, making Rowan more appealing.
Yeah, that is probably a better route. Haven’t heard back from NB yet, so we’ll see. The commute to NB would definitely be rough from where I am, so Camden is more appealing in that regard. I agree, though.
Thank you for the replies. This definitely gives me a lot more confidence in the Rowan Engineering department.
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If you plan to live home, this is sort of a huge thing, no matter how much better Rutgers might look on paper - and I’m not sure it necessarily does.
Think about 2x a day or more if going back for study groups and clubs - this should be a huge factor IMHO.
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If you’re planning to commute, factor that in as well, not just to cost but to convenience.
Rowan’s mission is all about serving students well on a budget, and it does that well. There’s a lot about this school to like, so if it is both cheapest and most convenient while providing the program you want, it sounds like a great option.
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If Rowan would be a significantly easier commute that should be a real consideration. Your time is an important resource.
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Can you consider living on campus at Rowan at least your first year? Lots of activities take place in the evening, which is why students who live on campus report better grades and greater satisfaction with their experience.
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Yeah, originally I ruled out Rutgers because of this reason. But, I decided to apply last minute because of the reputation of Rutgers and just to give them a chance.
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Yeah I have considered, but didn’t know if it’d be worth it, considering I live pretty close. I have heard good things about the dorms, though.
Yeah, they seem to check off all of the boxes, while still being very affordable. I applied to Drexel and got in for MechE, but even after scholarship, it was still so much more expensive.
Less time wasted on the road, more time spent in study groups/review session/library/clubs, all of which matter for your grades and tour resume (and thus internships.)
Think of it as an investment:
Just going to class and doing well in class won’t be sufficient in college, especially to get internships and later a job offer. It’ll thus help you better your odds.
Of course you can’t waste the investment partying on Thursdays or staying in your room playing videogames.
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Agree that if affordable, living on campus (even for the first year or two) could be a positive.
If living in a dorm is not affordable (or desirable to you for any reason), I would make every effort to spend a lot of time on campus. Don’t just show up for classes and go home. Get involved in clubs, study groups, go to the library, see if you can get a commuter meal plan to have lunch on campus, etc. Make the most of your college experience.
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Have you a chance to sit in at the lectures, talk with the MechE department (staff, professors, students) or just observe the campus vibes at NB, Rowans and Camden? I also encourage a 4-year experience on a single campus with living on campus as long as practical.
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