RSS
Home
University of Maryland College Park vs. Indiana University
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
For Maryland students applying to college, two schools that come up on many short lists are University of Maryland College Park and Indiana University.
Both schools offer strong name recognition, many strong academic programs (particularly focusing on Business), school spirit, undergrad populations at 25 thousand to 30 thousand, and a lot to do on and around campus.
Many students are increasingly drawn to Indiana because its campus is more pristine and Bloomington is a friendly, funky, and young college town. Meanwhile, College Park is far more urban, sprawling, and "sketchy" in the words of several students I've talked to in the past year.
Yet, Maryland is close to home and, especially important to Maryland residents, easier to pay for than out-of-state IU. Specifically, University of Maryland College Park costs roughly $17,000 for tuition and room and board for an in-state student before taking into consideration extra costs for books and incidentals and any scholarships or financial aid deductions. Indiana costs roughly $32,000 for tuition and room and board for an out-of-state student before taking into consideration books, travel costs, incidentals, and any scholarships or financial aid.
Parents in particular are voicing concerns to me about Maryland safety vs. Indiana safety. And many students are drawn to Indiana because it seems like an exciting place that does everything Maryland does - just better, safer, and prettier. Yet, parents who are watching the family budget often rationalize away the aesthetics because of Maryland's more compelling price.
Since there is no right or wrong answer, I ask you for your thoughts. Would you choose University of Maryland College Park or Indiana University Bloomington? And why?
Related Articles:
Comments
