NYU Tandon is only two subway stops away from Manhattan and only 15 minutes away (also subway) from main campus, so location is not really an issue. Plus, after Freshman year, you can live in Manhattan and can take loads of elective at CAS. I’m currently a freshman at Tandon and it’s a very good school, but I’m going to apply for transfer next year because I don’t think it’s worth the money my parents are paying and as far as chemical engineering is concerned, it’s not up there with the top state schools that are significantly cheaper. IMO, only Stern and Tisch are the truly exceptional schools are NYU. I don’t know much about Villanova, but if money isn’t an issue and you want to live in New York, go to NYU, because you’ll get a good job with an engineering degree, regardless of the university. And believe me, NYC is the greatest city you (or I) will ever live in.
@OnTheBubble sure, but you were using payscale and average salary as a proxy for competitiveness/selectivity (“So why do Villanova grads earn more money?”) and I was illustrating why that’s a silly way of measuring these characteristics