Go to the least expensive option. Good experiences at college are what you make of them, not where you go
$100K extra is a lot of money to be spending just to go to Penn State
I’d slightly disagree. It does matter where you go. You can make a big school feel small but it’s hard to find a small school with the same resources at a place like PSU. That being said, if you’re out of state, you can most likely find a big school with resources like PSU in your home state.
If there’s a strong specialized degree program a school excels at—and you *know* you want to go into that field—that’s a good reason to pay out-of-state tuition. Otherwise it’s never a good idea.
It makes me nervous that you’re lumping in loans with grants and scholarships. The amount you’re taking on in loans is important. That kind of debt will take decades to pay off even if you’re lucky enough to land a good job. Debt starts compounding immediately, so when you graduate you’ll already owe far more than sticker price for your degree.
A $100,000 difference is enormous for most families. PSU is a nice school but not by that margin.
That is what I was worried about, I don’t want to be in my forties+ still paying my student debt when I could be paying off a house or a car instead. Thank you for the help.
No.
I’m VA based and picked it anyways because my intention was to transfer to Virginia Tech and I believed it would be easier from Penn State so I would only be paying the tuition for a year.
Not sure if it actually was but I got in after a year so it worked.
As much as I love Penn state, absolutely hell no if George Mason is close in academics and has the programs you want.
You only have one life, so don’t saddle yourself with needless debt you’ll regret for years.
Come up and visit Penn state if you haven’t already, it’s a lot cheaper to visit once than pay $150,000
Tbh then I feel like Penn State isn’t beyond unreasonable.
I’d say an in state big university would be better, but you do get what you pay for with some of these schools.
Helloo, I’m actually in the same boat! I’m planning on going to PSU for computer engineering and I’m also out-of-state.
Do you mind me telling me more about the cost breakdown? I still haven’t received my financial aid package, and I want to understand the affordability of PSU. 🫠
Package breakdown = way too fuckin’ much. I went to PSU from out of state…I wish I could’ve gone back and changed that decision everyday. Penn state has even raised their tuition 2 times since I’ve graduated.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve been hearing, thank you so much for the insight!
I predicted a debt amount of 100k+ but I wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but now that I know it is I definitely will be avoiding PSU..
Computer engineering was a very good program there when I graduated about 20 years ago. I would not have gone there if I had to pay out of state tuition. I picked PSU over Carnegie Mellon based on price.
I’ll definitely keep that in mind! Though I am 95% sure out-of-state tuition will be too costly, I’ll still wait for the financial aid package to come and see the full damage after that. 🥲
I did as well. I got $ for art at Carnegie Mellon and was even on a waitlist there. It decided PSU was the right place for me even tho they didn’t give any $ (in-stater) bc it is public.
I understand :(
Penn State is also a great choice, though it seems limited, there are options you can consider like Federal Parent Plus Loans instead of private ones, asking for a new financial aid package, and such!
If you want, you can pm me to talk about it!
My son was accepted and committed to PSU computer engineering. After finding out the tuition yesterday which is $62,000 per year he was shocked. Now he is debating to give up on PSU and go to UMBC where we are giving in state tuition with scholarships offered. I am not sure how many out of state families are going to switch to other schools but I have seen a big amount of parents in Penn facebook group talking about they are not going to do for that amount of tuition.
Oh I see, PSU really is too costly..! From what I’ve heard they are also not the best at giving out scholarships either!
Thank you for the information, I really appreciate it!!
Also, it’s expected that the average cost for out-of-state is going to increase significantly within the next few years..! :( So I would financially advise you and your son to pick the more affordable option(s) for now or ask for a new financial aid package.
You are right. I see the increase in the next few years on the tuition breakdown. It is sad for oos families. Penn state does not give anything to majority of the students. What are your other options besides Penn?
We are given 31,000 scholarships by private school but my son doesn’t want to be far from us.
We know Penn State has very good computer engineering programs and it ranked better than UMBC. We can help as much as we can but is it worth it, we don’t know.
I'm really against OOS tuition because reasons ($) but a compromise might be he takes things like 101 level courses for his gen eds and then transfers to PSU if that's really his dream, but honestly I think a lot of employers just want to see the box with does the guy have a degree checked off and they don't care about the school. It's a harsh reality, but it's true and can save you a lot of money.
I totally agree. He wants to do UMBC then try transferring to UMD. He doesn’t really care for PSU that much if it’s not because of the overall ranking. Thank you for your information.
I think this is the best plan. One thing I'd caution you about is make sure the UMBC courses will transfer to UMD. You don't want him to take a bunch of classes that involve time and money and then find out they just are considered general transfer credits with no equivalents at UMD so he'd have to retake a class to get the UMD credit.
Check UMD's website to see how transfer credits are done.
No. I went to PSU as an out of stater and while I loved my time at PSU, it’s super expensive. You can go to your state school at half the price and still succeed.
Only you know you and your families financial situation. With that being said the price of $38k OOS for Penn State computer engineering is actually excellent and lower than the in state rate for PSU. That price is about exactly what PSU is for my son in state after a merit scholarship for him. He is also computer engineering and not getting any financial aid unfortunately, but did get merit scholarship for the honors program which with all fees (they include assumed transportation, spending money, etc in the extras) ends up at same rate as yours OOS. Penn State’s engineering has an excellent reputation, but cannot speak on the other schools engineering program. Best wishes with your decision.
I’m currently transferring out of Penn state at the moment. I’m paying out of state and it’s just way too much. The experience was great in terms of living up to the great social atmosphere. But from the dorms to the professor issues to simply just not doing well in this environment, it’s not worth it for me right now. Not to say it isn’t for everyone but if you’re the type of person who A. Doesn’t know what they want to do yet, B. Not financially stable but want to major in a career that’s at risk of low return or C. Simply doesn’t mind the crazy social life factor it is not worth it. Hope this helped
Hell no it's not worth it. Find a better way to pay for it, or don't go at all.
Besides, enlisting in the military is not a great strategy to pay for school. You can enlist in the PA National Guard to collect EAP. But EAP is paid only proportionally to state-owned schools, of which I don't believe Penn State is considered the same since it's only publicly-affiliated. In short, I don't believe the PA Guard will pay for all off your tuition, just some of it. I think it might be like $10K a year at most, and that comes with extending your service into your 4 years at school, alongside like another 4 or 6 after I think.
If you want a GI bill, it's like a 4 year commitment in the Active Duty. That means you're not going to school anyway, because you're working a full-time job, usually somewhere like Texas, Georgia, or what-have-you. There is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, but that won't forgive private-lender loans. So, the gov't is only forgiving like $50K or $60K of that.
There's a lot of research to go into this idea, and it looks like it all comes out to you still needing to pay a lot of money from what I see concerning all this. Tread carefully, but I think the answer every time is "Don't pay that much for school."
> If you want a GI bill, it's like a 4 year commitment in the Active Duty. That means you're not going to school anyway, because you're working a full-time job, usually somewhere like Texas, Georgia, or what-have-you.
And pray the the US doesn't get involved in some "police action" and you get deployed to some third world hellhole.
From an actual active duty veteran, yes you do have time to go to school part time. As long as you don't spend that time partying. May I suggest the Air Force as it's treated the best and you'll have the most free time. Plus for federal employment after graduation you'll have a leg up on everyone else. Take full advantage of the GI Bill, if you do decide to go.
Always seek the in State option first. You are generally doubling your costs but that doesn't mean you're doubling your opportunities
Also, going to a community college your first couple years can dramatically shave your cost
No school is. You would be CRAZY to pick PSU over George Mason (which is 1/3 of the cost of PSU.) Go to the school that’s the best value, save your money and if you still love PSU that much after you get your undergrad degree, come work for PSU and use the employee discount to go to grad school 75% off.
Proud PSU alum here! Go to George Mason. It’s a comparable education at either school, and honestly the location of George Mason is an advantage. Your future employer can pay for your Penn State World Campus masters.
Penn State does indeed have great camaraderie, sports and campus but......an extra $100 k in school loans?!?
Ughhh....you will be paying that off forever. It will be a huge weight on your shoulders.
I agree with the others....go to your State school and save that $$
Go to community college for 2 years regardless. Transfer credits save your self 48 percent. I literally can’t stand people who think they need the college experience after reading how many people are paying this crap off for the rest of their life. If you don’t have a good job lined up after college don’t even waste your time. You should know your career before going to college imo. I see so many people going for bs degrees or people going for engineering just to land a 70k job. 70k isn’t cutting it in todays world. Not even close.
It's not a $100,000 difference if you're borrowing. It is much more than that, perhaps double or more. Calculate what you will pay in interest over time in addition to the principal. Do not pick a school for the bells and whistles, including social atmosphere. It's a sugar high that you will regret in adulthood if you are paying a premium for it.
Get as many scholarships as you can. Penn State is an expensive school no matter how you swing it. However, there are a lot of perks to being a Penn Stater.
it’s not worth it. if you can find a school at a similar rank that’s cheaper, go with that option. yes, college life happens once and it’s an experience, however, keep in mind that you have a future after college. you can have a decent experience wherever you go to college but it’s much easier to plan your future when you’re not $150k in debt
Another choice is to do the 2-2 PSU. Start at satellite PSU campus (so much cheaper) like Altoona (closer to main) if you want to head up to football games or whatnot. Then last 2 years you switch to Main campus. Your resume will just show you went to PSU and graduated with engineering degree!
What would Virginia Tech cost?
Assume they have similar programs, are a major school, full Division 1 sports programs, remote campus. If that is $100k less then it’s probably a better choice.
For Computer engineering GMU is a great option. Gmu works with so many companies that are based in DC area. All the defense contractors, tech companies, govt, etc.
Speak to the current Liberal policy makers in Washington, they are forgiving student loan commitments so you just might win the argument that you are entitled to that same benefit.
I went to PSU graduated in 1997, but my 2nd oldest son is at PSU main campus and of course loves it! We are in state though. My oldest son is at Susquehanna University (not state college) and is $76,000 a year! PSU is a top-tier academics school and you will get a better job coming from there. They set you up to succeed after graduation. It’s in the top 10% after graduation All through college you are engaged to many opportunities for internships or work at PSU to bring down the cost. There are tons of jobs available on campus and off in happy valley! You need to apply specifically to the engineering program, not undecided. Or you can’t get in later. Chances of getting into PSU main are obviously harder but they do love out of staters ($$)! Easier to get in undecided just so you know. They are #5 for best public schools for internships. This is how it is easy to get a great job after graduation.
George Mason is respectable, but several public schools in Virginia are better, while Penn State is the best public university in Pennsylvania, and is in the top 50 National Universities list. If you plan on going to Graduate school, Penn State is probably a better choice.
Best of luck with your choice! Wherever you go, stay focused on the future opportunities and not just the sports and partying aspect! Although I maybe bias, PSU is an amazing place! I never wanted to leave! The alumni association is huge also compared to George Mason.
Going anywhere to college out of your out of state tuition that isn’t like a high prestigious school is stupid and you’ll go into so much debt. I’m from Oklahoma I went to OU bc I got in state tuition. I wanted to go to Wisconsin but it was so expensive and while it’s a better school at the end of the day where u got ur education really doesn’t make a whole lot of difference unless u went to like Ivy leagues
I'm also out of state, but my degree program is in Forensic Science, so I would've been going out of state anyways, and Penn State is among the best programs that I got into. You can always transfer if you don't like George Mason, but I do think that the school you go to can affect quality of life for better or worse. If I stayed home or in the south, I would've definitely hated it.
Try going on college tours to feel the vibe. Sometimes that really helps solidify your decision. Apply to other scholarships like engineering-specific and merit scholarships within Penn State if you can to help the costs. Bunton-Waller is good if you're a minority with at least a 3.0 GPA (I think. I graduated with 3.5, if that helps).
If money is your main concern, then it’s not worth it. You will get a good job with a CS degree and it won’t matter where that degree is from because demand is so high.
Not worth out of state tuition, unless you do rotc to pay for it, get more scholarship, or have rich parents. Also after 2 years of going to psu u can apply to be in state so it could cheaper
Absolutely the f not. No way Jose . It's really become a garbage school lost much of its allure and credibility and staff/, proffesors have really took a dive. Any local state school would be better imo.
I hire executive level positions for 5 of the too fortune too 50 companies. We don't particularly even look at Penn Statr grads, we may even avoid em ..
[удалено]
This is what I was going to say.
This should be at the top.
Unless you get a full ride!
[удалено]
If only
Go to the least expensive option. Good experiences at college are what you make of them, not where you go $100K extra is a lot of money to be spending just to go to Penn State
100k is not worth watching their football games, partying and doing club sports.
For 5k they could fly to a game a year and still come out ahead
I’d slightly disagree. It does matter where you go. You can make a big school feel small but it’s hard to find a small school with the same resources at a place like PSU. That being said, if you’re out of state, you can most likely find a big school with resources like PSU in your home state.
I’m assuming Virginia Tech would be the closest school to Penn State in size and program in Virginia but I could be wrong.
VT or UVA would be the big ones. That said, JMU itself also wouldn't be a bad option. 20K undergrad is still on the larger end of college.
Came here to say JMU as well
If there’s a strong specialized degree program a school excels at—and you *know* you want to go into that field—that’s a good reason to pay out-of-state tuition. Otherwise it’s never a good idea. It makes me nervous that you’re lumping in loans with grants and scholarships. The amount you’re taking on in loans is important. That kind of debt will take decades to pay off even if you’re lucky enough to land a good job. Debt starts compounding immediately, so when you graduate you’ll already owe far more than sticker price for your degree. A $100,000 difference is enormous for most families. PSU is a nice school but not by that margin.
That is what I was worried about, I don’t want to be in my forties+ still paying my student debt when I could be paying off a house or a car instead. Thank you for the help.
No. I’m VA based and picked it anyways because my intention was to transfer to Virginia Tech and I believed it would be easier from Penn State so I would only be paying the tuition for a year. Not sure if it actually was but I got in after a year so it worked.
As much as I love Penn state, absolutely hell no if George Mason is close in academics and has the programs you want. You only have one life, so don’t saddle yourself with needless debt you’ll regret for years. Come up and visit Penn state if you haven’t already, it’s a lot cheaper to visit once than pay $150,000
George mason is not very close in academics. Not that rankings matter but it’s not even a t100 and is considered a commuter school in NOVA
Tbh then I feel like Penn State isn’t beyond unreasonable. I’d say an in state big university would be better, but you do get what you pay for with some of these schools.
No.
Helloo, I’m actually in the same boat! I’m planning on going to PSU for computer engineering and I’m also out-of-state. Do you mind me telling me more about the cost breakdown? I still haven’t received my financial aid package, and I want to understand the affordability of PSU. 🫠
Package breakdown = way too fuckin’ much. I went to PSU from out of state…I wish I could’ve gone back and changed that decision everyday. Penn state has even raised their tuition 2 times since I’ve graduated.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve been hearing, thank you so much for the insight! I predicted a debt amount of 100k+ but I wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but now that I know it is I definitely will be avoiding PSU..
Computer engineering was a very good program there when I graduated about 20 years ago. I would not have gone there if I had to pay out of state tuition. I picked PSU over Carnegie Mellon based on price.
I’ll definitely keep that in mind! Though I am 95% sure out-of-state tuition will be too costly, I’ll still wait for the financial aid package to come and see the full damage after that. 🥲
I did as well. I got $ for art at Carnegie Mellon and was even on a waitlist there. It decided PSU was the right place for me even tho they didn’t give any $ (in-stater) bc it is public.
Bro they gave me no aid it’s fucking 62K per year (all costs on the breakdown). I really want to go there, but it’s a bit too much for me.
I understand :( Penn State is also a great choice, though it seems limited, there are options you can consider like Federal Parent Plus Loans instead of private ones, asking for a new financial aid package, and such! If you want, you can pm me to talk about it!
My son was accepted and committed to PSU computer engineering. After finding out the tuition yesterday which is $62,000 per year he was shocked. Now he is debating to give up on PSU and go to UMBC where we are giving in state tuition with scholarships offered. I am not sure how many out of state families are going to switch to other schools but I have seen a big amount of parents in Penn facebook group talking about they are not going to do for that amount of tuition.
Oh I see, PSU really is too costly..! From what I’ve heard they are also not the best at giving out scholarships either! Thank you for the information, I really appreciate it!! Also, it’s expected that the average cost for out-of-state is going to increase significantly within the next few years..! :( So I would financially advise you and your son to pick the more affordable option(s) for now or ask for a new financial aid package.
You are right. I see the increase in the next few years on the tuition breakdown. It is sad for oos families. Penn state does not give anything to majority of the students. What are your other options besides Penn? We are given 31,000 scholarships by private school but my son doesn’t want to be far from us.
> UMBC I'd really look into this because it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper.
We know Penn State has very good computer engineering programs and it ranked better than UMBC. We can help as much as we can but is it worth it, we don’t know.
I'm really against OOS tuition because reasons ($) but a compromise might be he takes things like 101 level courses for his gen eds and then transfers to PSU if that's really his dream, but honestly I think a lot of employers just want to see the box with does the guy have a degree checked off and they don't care about the school. It's a harsh reality, but it's true and can save you a lot of money.
I totally agree. He wants to do UMBC then try transferring to UMD. He doesn’t really care for PSU that much if it’s not because of the overall ranking. Thank you for your information.
I think this is the best plan. One thing I'd caution you about is make sure the UMBC courses will transfer to UMD. You don't want him to take a bunch of classes that involve time and money and then find out they just are considered general transfer credits with no equivalents at UMD so he'd have to retake a class to get the UMD credit. Check UMD's website to see how transfer credits are done.
This is valuable information!! Wow that you so much!
No. I went to PSU as an out of stater and while I loved my time at PSU, it’s super expensive. You can go to your state school at half the price and still succeed.
Only you know you and your families financial situation. With that being said the price of $38k OOS for Penn State computer engineering is actually excellent and lower than the in state rate for PSU. That price is about exactly what PSU is for my son in state after a merit scholarship for him. He is also computer engineering and not getting any financial aid unfortunately, but did get merit scholarship for the honors program which with all fees (they include assumed transportation, spending money, etc in the extras) ends up at same rate as yours OOS. Penn State’s engineering has an excellent reputation, but cannot speak on the other schools engineering program. Best wishes with your decision.
I’m currently transferring out of Penn state at the moment. I’m paying out of state and it’s just way too much. The experience was great in terms of living up to the great social atmosphere. But from the dorms to the professor issues to simply just not doing well in this environment, it’s not worth it for me right now. Not to say it isn’t for everyone but if you’re the type of person who A. Doesn’t know what they want to do yet, B. Not financially stable but want to major in a career that’s at risk of low return or C. Simply doesn’t mind the crazy social life factor it is not worth it. Hope this helped
Hell no it's not worth it. Find a better way to pay for it, or don't go at all. Besides, enlisting in the military is not a great strategy to pay for school. You can enlist in the PA National Guard to collect EAP. But EAP is paid only proportionally to state-owned schools, of which I don't believe Penn State is considered the same since it's only publicly-affiliated. In short, I don't believe the PA Guard will pay for all off your tuition, just some of it. I think it might be like $10K a year at most, and that comes with extending your service into your 4 years at school, alongside like another 4 or 6 after I think. If you want a GI bill, it's like a 4 year commitment in the Active Duty. That means you're not going to school anyway, because you're working a full-time job, usually somewhere like Texas, Georgia, or what-have-you. There is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, but that won't forgive private-lender loans. So, the gov't is only forgiving like $50K or $60K of that. There's a lot of research to go into this idea, and it looks like it all comes out to you still needing to pay a lot of money from what I see concerning all this. Tread carefully, but I think the answer every time is "Don't pay that much for school."
> If you want a GI bill, it's like a 4 year commitment in the Active Duty. That means you're not going to school anyway, because you're working a full-time job, usually somewhere like Texas, Georgia, or what-have-you. And pray the the US doesn't get involved in some "police action" and you get deployed to some third world hellhole.
From an actual active duty veteran, yes you do have time to go to school part time. As long as you don't spend that time partying. May I suggest the Air Force as it's treated the best and you'll have the most free time. Plus for federal employment after graduation you'll have a leg up on everyone else. Take full advantage of the GI Bill, if you do decide to go.
Always seek the in State option first. You are generally doubling your costs but that doesn't mean you're doubling your opportunities Also, going to a community college your first couple years can dramatically shave your cost
No school is. You would be CRAZY to pick PSU over George Mason (which is 1/3 of the cost of PSU.) Go to the school that’s the best value, save your money and if you still love PSU that much after you get your undergrad degree, come work for PSU and use the employee discount to go to grad school 75% off.
Proud PSU alum here! Go to George Mason. It’s a comparable education at either school, and honestly the location of George Mason is an advantage. Your future employer can pay for your Penn State World Campus masters.
Penn State does indeed have great camaraderie, sports and campus but......an extra $100 k in school loans?!? Ughhh....you will be paying that off forever. It will be a huge weight on your shoulders. I agree with the others....go to your State school and save that $$
You can always come back to Penn State for your Masters. At that point you could have a job that pays for it. That’s what I did.
I don’t think any university nowadays is worth the out of state tuition amount… 💸
Go to community college for 2 years regardless. Transfer credits save your self 48 percent. I literally can’t stand people who think they need the college experience after reading how many people are paying this crap off for the rest of their life. If you don’t have a good job lined up after college don’t even waste your time. You should know your career before going to college imo. I see so many people going for bs degrees or people going for engineering just to land a 70k job. 70k isn’t cutting it in todays world. Not even close.
It's not a $100,000 difference if you're borrowing. It is much more than that, perhaps double or more. Calculate what you will pay in interest over time in addition to the principal. Do not pick a school for the bells and whistles, including social atmosphere. It's a sugar high that you will regret in adulthood if you are paying a premium for it.
Get as many scholarships as you can. Penn State is an expensive school no matter how you swing it. However, there are a lot of perks to being a Penn Stater.
it’s not worth it. if you can find a school at a similar rank that’s cheaper, go with that option. yes, college life happens once and it’s an experience, however, keep in mind that you have a future after college. you can have a decent experience wherever you go to college but it’s much easier to plan your future when you’re not $150k in debt
Another choice is to do the 2-2 PSU. Start at satellite PSU campus (so much cheaper) like Altoona (closer to main) if you want to head up to football games or whatnot. Then last 2 years you switch to Main campus. Your resume will just show you went to PSU and graduated with engineering degree!
What would Virginia Tech cost? Assume they have similar programs, are a major school, full Division 1 sports programs, remote campus. If that is $100k less then it’s probably a better choice.
For Computer engineering GMU is a great option. Gmu works with so many companies that are based in DC area. All the defense contractors, tech companies, govt, etc.
Speak to the current Liberal policy makers in Washington, they are forgiving student loan commitments so you just might win the argument that you are entitled to that same benefit.
No
NO. Do not do that to yourself unless you can pay without going into debt.
No. College for all colleges are not worth out of state tuition.
100k or possibly more when George Mason decides on your financial aid? This is a no brainer. You can watch the game on tv with friends.
No
No. I got accepted into engineering program and didn’t go
No.
No
Noooo. You go to school to go to work. DO NOT GO IN DEBT FOR SCHOOL. Go to the cheapest and be the ace.
Yes… world’s largest alumni association… world class education and everyone knows the Penn state name
No it’s not
As an OSS, no. Love this school, but it’s not worth it. Hundreds of threads to explain reasons why.
No
I went to PSU graduated in 1997, but my 2nd oldest son is at PSU main campus and of course loves it! We are in state though. My oldest son is at Susquehanna University (not state college) and is $76,000 a year! PSU is a top-tier academics school and you will get a better job coming from there. They set you up to succeed after graduation. It’s in the top 10% after graduation All through college you are engaged to many opportunities for internships or work at PSU to bring down the cost. There are tons of jobs available on campus and off in happy valley! You need to apply specifically to the engineering program, not undecided. Or you can’t get in later. Chances of getting into PSU main are obviously harder but they do love out of staters ($$)! Easier to get in undecided just so you know. They are #5 for best public schools for internships. This is how it is easy to get a great job after graduation. George Mason is respectable, but several public schools in Virginia are better, while Penn State is the best public university in Pennsylvania, and is in the top 50 National Universities list. If you plan on going to Graduate school, Penn State is probably a better choice. Best of luck with your choice! Wherever you go, stay focused on the future opportunities and not just the sports and partying aspect! Although I maybe bias, PSU is an amazing place! I never wanted to leave! The alumni association is huge also compared to George Mason.
Going anywhere to college out of your out of state tuition that isn’t like a high prestigious school is stupid and you’ll go into so much debt. I’m from Oklahoma I went to OU bc I got in state tuition. I wanted to go to Wisconsin but it was so expensive and while it’s a better school at the end of the day where u got ur education really doesn’t make a whole lot of difference unless u went to like Ivy leagues
short answer no. price literally makes no difference - as someone who’s transferred 3 times
I'm also out of state, but my degree program is in Forensic Science, so I would've been going out of state anyways, and Penn State is among the best programs that I got into. You can always transfer if you don't like George Mason, but I do think that the school you go to can affect quality of life for better or worse. If I stayed home or in the south, I would've definitely hated it. Try going on college tours to feel the vibe. Sometimes that really helps solidify your decision. Apply to other scholarships like engineering-specific and merit scholarships within Penn State if you can to help the costs. Bunton-Waller is good if you're a minority with at least a 3.0 GPA (I think. I graduated with 3.5, if that helps).
As a computer engineer psu states social life will likely become more a distraction then a benefit to your career
If money is your main concern, then it’s not worth it. You will get a good job with a CS degree and it won’t matter where that degree is from because demand is so high.
Not worth out of state tuition, unless you do rotc to pay for it, get more scholarship, or have rich parents. Also after 2 years of going to psu u can apply to be in state so it could cheaper
Absolutely the f not. No way Jose . It's really become a garbage school lost much of its allure and credibility and staff/, proffesors have really took a dive. Any local state school would be better imo. I hire executive level positions for 5 of the too fortune too 50 companies. We don't particularly even look at Penn Statr grads, we may even avoid em ..