Does college ranking really matter? Purdue vs Northeastern (energy/renewable engineering)
I'm an incoming freshman choosing between Purdue and Northeastern for engineering. I have an Army ROTC scholarship covering full tuition at both schools, so cost is not a factor I'm considering.
My career goal is currently in renewable energy and electric grid/storage technology (think grid-scale batteries, renewables, energy storage, not oil/nuclear)
I acknowledge Purdue's incredible research opportunities, programs, and longstanding history within the industry. Though Northeastern seems to have somewhat caught up, with lots of partners in the Boston tech hub. Another big factor is location; I really love cities and do not prefer a college town like Purdue (I think).
My dad's perspective is that I should be learning the fundamentals and learn from research/projects within the school, rather than focus on a specific field/discipline. But I'm not sure if I completely agree with that.
My gut says Northeastern for renewable/electric energy specifically because of the Boston ecosystem and co-op pipeline, but I want to hear from people actually working in the industry:
1. Does the Northeastern vs Purdue distinction actually matter to hiring managers in renewable energy, or do employers in this space care more about co-op experience and skills than school name?
2. For someone targeting grid-scale storage or offshore wind, is Boston actually where the action is, or are there better geographic markets I should be thinking about?
3. How much does location really matter? Purdue has lots of opportunities within, and NEU has outside opportunities.
4. Do employers recognize a harder curriculum and research like Purdue, or real experience at co-ops/internships? Will I get enough experience at NEU coop that it can cover the gap in academics and reputation of Purdue?
5. In terms of alumni network, Purdue has over 600k, while NEU has about 300k total, with 54k within COE. Though is the density of these alumni in the energy industry, since Boston is the leading energy hub?
Appreciate any perspective from people in the industry or who've done the military + engineering track.
3 answers
Robert Rossi
Robert’s Answer
1) School rankings generally lag 10 years behind reality and heavily weight research/graduate program perceived quality. As an undergrad, what really matters is whether your teachers can teach their way out of a paper bag...often the best researchers are the worst teachers. If you visit these schools, SIT IN ON A CLASS, or better yet two. That will tell you about what really matters.
2) Different employers will weight things differently. But almost all will very much take into account their experiences with alumni of a given school, especially any hires. Look to see on LinkedIn who is alumni of what at the places you would most like to work. Don't be shy about reaching out to them there.
3) Ask alumni of these two schools here (or if no reply, on Reddit) how well they felt their training prepared them for the working world.
4) I taught a class on wind energy in 2003. It was cutting edge at that time; almost all the resources were in Europe, especially Denmark. Now wind power is much more mainstream. In windy places, it will still be an important part of the future. But closer to AZ, it'll be geothermal, which can be relied on when the wind isn't blowing and sun isn't shining, and which can now be used for peaking through the application of fracking technology. If I were a student today, this is what I'd be most interested in studying. I can't predict the future with certainty, of course, but I have a good track record. Unfortunately, because this is still "ahead of the curve" the best training may actually be from the fracking people working on fossil fuels.
Robert recommends the following next steps:
Robert’s Answer
It's clear from your question that you have done a ton of research on this. You already are impressive going in depth to understand which choice might be the best for you!
As the others have said, I would strongly recommend you go to campus and visit a few classes to gain an insight to what your student experience might be. Rankings tend to not matter on a resume - if you have the degree with good grades and can present well, you will be able to find a job no matter what school you attended.
My other advice is to really think about the education part of this. While I grew up on the east coast and understand the allure of wanting to be here, don't discount any of the really good midwest schools where the city life might not be as "exciting". You will find your group no matter where you are, and in my experience, it's this group that means more than where you met them.
This is a good problem to have these two great choices! Enjoy this time and know whatever decision you make will be the right one for you.
