Calling all civils: my son is a senior in HS and would like to pursue a career in civil engineering. He's gotten into both TCNJ and Rowan (also U of Colorado and Syracuse and waiting to hear on VaTech). Any recommendations on which school is better? They seem fairly equivalent to me, but any insight would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Civil Engineers: TCNJ or Rowan?
- Thread starter irishflu92
- Start date
As an engineering student at RU, and also someone who has been there, go to Colorado. He will not be sorry! All major colleges are similar when it comes to engineering classes (my lectures are very close if not identical to other Big Ten schools, you find them when you go search online for help with homework etc.). Engineering, it’s about the FACILITIES and resources - how many machines do they have in the shop? Are there enough big computer labs? How new are the laboratories? That’s the important stuff. CU is swimming in money, Campus is unreal and the college experience out there will be second to none.
U of Colorado is like $55K for out of staters. No idea what they're engineering program is like bought it better be worth the price difference of a degree from TCNJ or Rowan which have pretty good programs.
Rowan is making great strides and rising in the rankings. My only question, is did he apply to Rutgers?
http://www.studentsreview.com/undergraduate.php3?UID=892&PID=10&MAJOR_NAME=Civil+Engineering
tough choice. I work at a large civil engineering firm and dont know of any of our hires out of TCNJ or Rowan. Rutgers, NJIT, and Stevens are big in our company (they also have big recruiting events at these schools). Of course there are others like Villanova, Lehigh, Penn State etc...
Thanks, this is very good advice. We are trying to get to Boulder in the next couple of weeks and, frankly, I think that's where he ends up. (I think once he sees the campus in person, it's a lock.) I've thought the same as you--its about the resources at a big school; and, I wonder whether either TCNJ or Rowan could compete.
Rowan’s stuff is pretty good. New half of their Engineering building just opened up.
Hopefully when the Weeks Building is done Rutgers will talk about it more. When we did the “Knight for a Day” in the Fall it really wasn’t talked about. And facilities-wise Rutgers was kinda eh. Weeks opening should change that. The kids though were very impressive.
My son, who will also be going Civil, got in Rutgers, Rowan, TCNJ and NJIT in NJ. No from Stevens (very “hot” this year). And also got into a bunch of private schools with Civil that most of you would be familiar with.
Everybody (outside of RU) stressed how the professor will be teaching your child and not a TA or grad student.
Hopefully when the Weeks Building is done Rutgers will talk about it more. When we did the “Knight for a Day” in the Fall it really wasn’t talked about. And facilities-wise Rutgers was kinda eh. Weeks opening should change that. The kids though were very impressive.
My son, who will also be going Civil, got in Rutgers, Rowan, TCNJ and NJIT in NJ. No from Stevens (very “hot” this year). And also got into a bunch of private schools with Civil that most of you would be familiar with.
Everybody (outside of RU) stressed how the professor will be teaching your child and not a TA or grad student.
Tough call. I would lean towards TCNJ simply because I believe that they are a little more selective of students, which implies a more competitive program. The engineering facilities at Rowan do look pretty nice. After all, the college was renamed Rowan due to the $100 million gift to build the engineering school. Like Pete mentions above, not a lot of people in the industry today are graduates of either school.
Based on the experience of my nephews, I would go with Rowan. Not impressed with my nephew and his description of classes at TCNJ. He had a hard time getting a job after school. My nephew that went to Rowan was always engaged and excited about his classes. He got a good job before he graduated.
Both have similar smarts and personalities. I know TCNJ claims to be a good school, but as a hiring manager I am never impressed with their student. Of course a Rutgers grad beats all.
Both have similar smarts and personalities. I know TCNJ claims to be a good school, but as a hiring manager I am never impressed with their student. Of course a Rutgers grad beats all.
My nephew went to Rowan for engineering. Graduated last year and got a job with a defense department subcontractor right out of college. He did an internship with them. I have no idea which is better, obviously he would say Rowan but for job placement they're top notch. Most of his friends got jobs as well and in the end that has to be one of the top criteria when considering a school.
my wife is a civil engineer...her two cents...of those choices...if money isn't an issue, VaTech and then UC Boulder. If wanting to stay in state, then TCNJ is a newer program and there are quite a few grads making it into the industry now with good reviews. also, to the extent that your son may change his mind on his major...civil...and engineering in general...isn't for everyone, choose a school that has a highly regarded engineering school...but also has other highly regarded programs as well.
This is good advice.
Pending the decision from VPI, that would be easily the best choice for civil engineering of the schools being considered.
Rutgers Engineering is more difficult to get into than any of the schools listed.
Last edited:
Overall, TCNJ is much higher ranked than Rowan, but I don't know about engineering specifically. I will tell you that nobody outside of NJ has ever heard of Rowan and TCNJ's reputation is growing. TCNJ's business school is very good - lot of Big 4 hires come from there.
Frankly, I had no idea that CNJ even had an engineering program. It wouldn't be the first place I'd look to recruit engineering students from. It's good for NJ and Mercer County that they have one, just like the other new kid on the block, Rowan, is also good for the state overall and southern NJ in particular.
That said, NJIT has a better reputation for engineering than either CNJ or Rowan and perhaps should have been considered. Having been in existence a lot longer than the other two means more of its alumni are in positions of influence across multiple industries.
That said, NJIT has a better reputation for engineering than either CNJ or Rowan and perhaps should have been considered. Having been in existence a lot longer than the other two means more of its alumni are in positions of influence across multiple industries.
It may not be the case any more, but in the late 1960s, the Rutgers Engineering program was among the toughest in the nation. The freshman Engineering Physics textbook was the same used at MIT as was the 5 credit Calculus course for engineers. This was a highly demanding academic program that was more challenging than any other program in the state, including Stevens and the Newark College of Engineering (NJIT), with the possible exception of Princeton.
If you get a degree from Rutgers Engineering, you will be able to get a great job anywhere in the world.
It was and probably still is a gem of a program, as are many other academic programs at our great state university.
If you get a degree from Rutgers Engineering, you will be able to get a great job anywhere in the world.
It was and probably still is a gem of a program, as are many other academic programs at our great state university.
E5,Are you saying the people on the tour did not talk much about the new a engineering building? I would think every parent and child on the tour would want to know what is on the horizon for them.
I hope you’re paying for his college because coming out of Colorado as a civil engineer w that kind of debt would be awful for his financial future.
I agree, he shouldn’t graduate with more than 25-30k in debt or you can not afford it.
I was just reading an article about a young graduate with $190,000 debt loan from college. What an idiot.
Anyone choosing a private school, without scholarships or parental support, is easily going to have more than 200K in debt.
When my son was looking at Engineering schools,he was turned off by the fact TCNJ was just starting their program that year,2003,I think. He looked at Lehigh, and that's a great school also. Finally, he set his sights on Rutgers, never looked back,interned,with pay,at 2 different companies,his final 3 years in school, and had a hiring contract in hand,before spring semester of his Senior year at Rutgers,hired by a former Rutgers Engineering grad. Keep job placement in mind, and the fact so many Rutgers Alum are in positions of hiring in this area. Rutgers has a great reputation in the Metro area, for sure, and prepared my son well, as he took the PE test after 5 years in the field, the earliest you can take it, and passed.
I remember back in the day, guys who failed out of RU Engineering were able to get into NJIT if they really wanted to pursue engineering. At RU, it is very rigorous and many people opt out or are asked to leave. Almost a point of pride for the program. Great point about selecting a larger school that will have many other majors to switch to if engineering does not work out. He also may want to switch from civil to a different type of engineering once he gets more information. Colorado is absolutely stunning but comes with a much higher cost. VTech is excellent but will also be more expensive. But some real good choices. Congrats to him.
That's what I meant by parental support. It's the parents who would be paying for it.
If the parents have the money, it's a value decision, much like buying a home. If the parents/guardians/prospective student see a particular school as the best place for them, and they have the money, go for it.
As far as going into debt, I agree it is smarter to go to an in-state school and not rack up debt. I know people who graduated law school with over $250,000 in education debt. That is insane.
Interesting, it used to be 4 years of experience was the minimum to sit for the PE exam.
Same with the CPA exam, you need 5 years of education instead of 4 years, or certain number of credits equal to 5 years.
for Civil in NJ: Rutgers > Stevens/NJIT > TCNJ > Rowan
Decent money in field but not worth taking large loans. All end up at same salary+/. Go to best program for least money is my advice
Decent money in field but not worth taking large loans. All end up at same salary+/. Go to best program for least money is my advice
From a college experience standpoint, aren't TCNJ and Rowan schools where many students bail out (head home) on weekends?
We recently took a trip to UNC- Charlotte and spoke to a professor in the grad program. We told him we were from Rutgers, and he said "Well, we don't have the things that you guys have at schools like Rutgers and MIT." I think that says a lot about the reputation of Rutgers out of state.
While Colorado has a beautiful campus, state funding for higher ed is an issue, with costs shifting from the state to the students at a rate that is expected to be faster than other states. You may want to ask about this while you are out there.
-Scarlet Jerry
While Colorado has a beautiful campus, state funding for higher ed is an issue, with costs shifting from the state to the students at a rate that is expected to be faster than other states. You may want to ask about this while you are out there.
-Scarlet Jerry
I wonder if Coloradoans have been trying to get some of the tax on marijuana sales that ends up in state coffers diverted to higher education.
Just to clarify, for the PE we are talking about 4/5 years of full-time work experience in demonstrated engineering capacity after the bachelor's degree in order to qualify to sit, not just the # of years (or credits) of education.
I thought the CPA was also certain # of years experience (in public accounting/auditing type work) as well, not just years/credits of education.
No idea, but don't doubt that to some extent. Wasn't too long ago that the "suitcase school" label applied to Rutgers-NB as well. Probably still happens now but maybe in smaller numbers overall compared to a generation ago. When most of the student body that lives on campus (or immediately off-campus) is within an hour or two of their permanent residence (mom & dad's house), there is a greater tendency to do so.
Second this - as someone saddled with OOS debt, I firmly recommend that unless you are getting scholarships there is no reason to go out of state. There just isnt that much of a difference between schools to make it worth it.
Typically a CPA requires certain number of hours of work experience in different areas, plus an education requirement to attain. It all varies by state what those requirements are.
Thanks. This is exactly our thoughts as well. Frankly, I'd like my son to see and experience another part of the country, so he didn't even apply to Rutgers and applied to TCNJ and Rowan only as safety schools. Syracuse doesn't have a great engineering program--at least, at that cost. Colorado has a very good program, but is more pricey. We're still hoping for VT, which is even better and cheaper. The question is whether the "big school, out of state" experience is worth the extra $25,000/year. If not for the fact that he's got three younger siblings right behind him, there wouldn't even be a question. In any event, he's vey likely headed to Boulder if not Blacksburg.
Extra $25,000 a year to you or your son?
If that's going to your son then it's a terrible decision imo.
This is coming from someone who's graduated less than 10 years ago and had plenty of friends who were mis-guided or made bad colleges choices out of high school and are saddled with debt.
Also don't get the thinking of not even applying to Rutgers but putting an app in for Rowan/TCNJ....
I've been to Boulder once and could almost smell the smugness in the air. Your kid would get such a better real world/life experience with 4 years at Rutgers but to each his own.
Blacksburg is gorgeous, and a very much a different mindset than NJ and the rest of the northeast...as well as being pretty nerdy too tbh.
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
Podcast Rutgers Hoops Portal Scoop + Zach Sparber / Eric O'Neill Pressers- Latest: -RUFAN4LIFE-