Penn State (2+2) vs Michigan State

[orchid iron]

That's actually a really tough decision.
PSU is definitely better and it isn't a competition between the two since prices are the same. But it's the 2+2 program.
You've got to basically decide if you're willing to sacrifice 2 years at another campus without your current friends and then transfer to main campus. You've to ask yourself if this cost is worth the better degree you obtain at the end of it.

Moreover, you've to also factor in scope for transferring (if you want to)
Since you're doing engineering, Michigan has great scope for transferring. The picture above is UMich's international men admit percentage for 2021-22. The "Kinda" is for their community college preference as I wasn't too sure about it. Maybe someone else could clarify.

However, Pennsylvania too has a great scope of transferring, with UPENN and Carnegie Mellon being reaches (no community college preferences for the transfer data above), and Villanova and LeHigh if you're considering them.

Sorry for the rant on transferring. I'm considering doing the same cause I guess one could always look higher but if it's irrelevant, hopefully just the first point on the cost of the degree is helpful.

[modest pumice]

Thank you for your opinion

The decision is even more difficult to make as cost of attendance is the same

as I got scholarship from Michigan State

im currently deciding if the first two years at a branch campus is worth the higher ranking

[orchid iron]

This should not be relevant because MSU is more expensive being a worse ranked school relative to PSU for your major

[orchid iron]

Look at the total cost price rather than the discount percentage.
A $100 t-shirt and a 33% discounted $150 t-shirt need only be judged on the basis of quality and comfort

[modest pumice]

well true

but the problem is that for penn state I got 2+2

so 2 years at an alternative campus which is not as good as the main campus as well as msu

[meager citrus]

upenn and carnegie are a lot harder to transfer into than umich

just want to note that

[orchid iron]

Oh yeah no doubt, just putting it out there since he’d be in-state and would receive preference

[orchid iron]

Yeah, true. This judgement is purely on the basis of choice and not hard facts on which one’s better. You’ve to decide on this based on your preferences and a qualitative analysis of what you’re risking

[modest pumice]

yeah

just wanted to see if the 2+2 benefits outweigh the 4 years at msu

[atomic gorge]

Technically you can also do one year at a satalieete than 3 years at college park