From a liberal arts person from Rutgers, I’d say go to Rutgers. To me, Rutgers is a place that you can do almost anything. There are opportunities to study abroad, there are opportunities to study almost any subject. NJIT just from my eagle eye view was always STEM through and through.

To be sure, it depends a lot on what you want to get out of your grad school too. If you’re dead set on STEM to the end, then by all means take the money. If you’re not sure, I’d say take Rutgers. If say you want to go to law school (which I don’t recommend lol) your undergrad means almost nothing except how your grades are. An undergraduate degree in the sciences can help job prospects, but it rarely matters where that degree is from. I’d just go to Rutgers since i feel there’s more infrastructure for careers paths like that.

Just my 2¢… which can’t buy you anything … in THIS economy ?

I live in one of the surrounding towns about 15 minutes from Nassau St. I pay around $2,200/mo for a 1 bedroom apartment. The cost of living in this area (and most of NJ) is expensive. I would say you'd need to be making at least $4,000/mo take-home to "make it" here and that's w/ making smart financial decisions and w/o any big expenses (Ex: Like a $500+/mo student loan payment). There are cheaper places to live other than where I am, but not TOO much cheaper if you want to be close to Princeton. I know a studio apartment in some of the Princeton complexes cost more than my 1 bedroom here. You've got to do some research for options. I saw someone suggested $80,000/yr for the area, and if you're living alone I think that's a realistic number. Of course, I'm a stranger on the internet w/ experiences limited to my own, so other might have different opinions. I wish you the best of luck!

I think so. I have pretty solid GPA and I work on engineering currently. I am a transfer student from CC so I’m not sure how I will do at my 4 year school though.

Yeah I should have mentioned that, I’m an older transfer student so I’ve already done the major changes hopefully.

Okay so I should find out what research is happening and look into it more. Thank you!

For me it’s the quality of education, proximity to commute, and also the stipend I get from the GI bill. I am an older transfer student and work full time so social stuff and the college experience don’t interest me very much. I have already went through the major change thing so I should be good on that end.

I will definitely take you up on this! Thanks!

I was referring to New Brunswick, Newark is an option but I would probably choose NJIT over RU Newark I think.

This is what I am leaning towards, an extra 700 bucks can go a long way every month.

Engineering is an exception. A 60% grade in an engineering class gave you an A

if your town doesn’t have rent control, you can still try to negotiate it down. I know this is less likely to be effective in an apartment complex but it doesn’t hurt to try. Just because it’s market rate doesn’t mean it’s a fair increase.

If you choose to move out, do your research and find a town with rent control laws. Mine has a 4% cap and it’s great peace of mind. Last year my rent only went up $68 and I’m still paying far below market rate for my location + amenities.

I honestly didn’t even think about that - you are absolutely right. If the OP is considering New Brunswick, my first comment stands. If it’s RU Newark, I don’t have any experience there so my other comment can be ignored.

People who live in NJ 1000% do not want to go to NYC if they don't have to.

Rutgers Newark is a different experience than Rutgers New Brunswick. If he is comparing Rutgers Newark to NJIT would you still pick RU? I went to NJIT many years ago and it seemed the two campuses had a similar feel. I would agree that the RU New Brunswick campus would have more social options

Check your town website for information on rent control or if you have a tenants board. Or google ‘town+rent increases’. My town in essex count caps the % a landlord can increase per renewal, but I know not all towns have this.

It def sucks but I wonder if your complex was seriously under market for awhile? That’s a big increase but unfortunately it seems on par with market rates.

Suggest you look in surrounding towns like West Windsor, Plainsboro, and Kingston. They will still be expensive but much less than Princeton and depending on where you wind up you would be a 5-10 minute drive into downtown Princeton or 15-30 minute bike ride. For a one bedroom in the area you can assume a range of $2000-$2500 in rent. In town you will start at $3000 a month.

I work for the university, specifically the national lab on route 1. If possible, depending on you commuting circumstances, I would try to not live in the immediate area unless it’s 100% required. Not that it isn’t an amazing place to live and work, it is, but it’s going to cost you $$$$. I would look at Cranbury, Lawrenceville, Hamilton, for cheaper alternatives while still being only a 10-20 mins commute. West/East Windsor are nearby too, though typically more expensive then the other suggestions.

Realistically, if you’re looking to rent in the Princeton area without roommates or a spouse with income, have a car for transportation, and still have a small amount left over so you aren’t sitting in you apartment all weekend, I would think $80k a year to start, even that might be pushing it, we’re talking about one of the more expensive areas, in one of the more expensive states, in the most expensive region in the US.

You’re finding the difference because everyone is going to live their life differently. Are you buying a new car every year? How about eating out? What kind of place do you want to live in? What do you do for entertainment? We can’t really answer this question for you.

2.2k to 4k a month as take home? Even at 4k a month Princeton would be a tight budget with current housing prices unless you land a place with a roommate... or several.

Thanks for your business. Your corporate owners will repay you with pollution and slavery.

I don’t. I’m a teacher. I guess I could afford to rent the unit but I can’t really save my money at the same time

First world problems

You really need to contact your local Rent Control Board and ask them about guidelines as it may differ for single, dual or multi family homes.

People too cheap to pay the $50 toll.

NJIT. It's ABET accredited as opposed to Rutgers SAS

Yeah, mine jumped $200 this year, and $250 last year for no increase in services.