A lot of ranking sites have Virginia Tech as one of the best campuses in the country, as well. At the end of the day, though, your DS should choose based on his criteria. 30 years ago I was in the same boat, and I chose VT over PSU because I wanted to get away from people in my HS and would rather meet new people at VT. I also just loved the campus and the feel down there better. I don’t know much about the programs of the 2 schools these outside of Engineering, so I’d weigh that, as well. Tell your DS to go with his gut.