MA in Econ from BU worth the money?

[RSiegel]

Hi All,
I have a tough decision and I'm hoping some of you can help me.
I am living in Boston and have been admitted to BU and Suffolk University.
Suffolk obviously has a programs that is less well known and lower ranked. That said, they are offering me $11,500 in tuition remission. That means that BU will cost about $20K more than Suffolk. I will be taking out loans to pay for either program. If I go with BU just the program will cost me $40K.

I have a bachelors from UVM in econ but sort of wandered off of the economics path over the years. I'm currently in retail banking as an assistant manager and want to put myself back on a more analytic path. I am not opting for an MBA because I would like to work in the realm of policy analysis. I am also interested in potentially moving to D.C. to work. (I would be open to moving to D.C. for school but it would be much more complicated for the moment).

Anyone have thoughts on which program makes more sense? I'm over 30 at this point so I am looking for a program that will pay off and not one that will just leave me with debt and no job opportunities.

Oh, also I have noticed that the current students at BU are almost totally international. Does anyone know why? Is this a good or bad sign for me (being that I am a U.S. citizen). I spoke with one current student who is from China and she says that BU sends her lots of info about job opportunities but most require that she is a U.S. citizen.
I would love some opinions!!!
Thanks

[atse]

It's always nice to get a degree from a well-known school. But the rankings are usually a reflection of the students and how famous the professors are rather than on the program itself. I suggest visiting the schools just to see how different the programs are. I assume it would look better on your resume to graduate from a well known university with high scores.

Having many international students is not a bad thing at all. It may mean that the school is popular internationally, and that many people like coming to america for a college education. Most universities nowadays have many international students.

[dianabws]

It's always nice to get a degree from a well-known school. But the rankings are usually a reflection of the students and how famous the professors are rather than on the program itself. I suggest visiting the schools just to see how different the programs are. I assume it would look better on your resume to graduate from a well known university with high scores.

Having many international students is not a bad thing at all. It may mean that the school is popular internationally, and that many people like coming to america for a college education. Most universities nowadays have many international students.

Hi RSiegel,
Since you're in MA, and both Suffolk and BU are in MA, what's stopping you from visiting both their campuses to evaluate which is a better fit? Ranking is important to employers, but you have to weigh that against your own interests.

If you have the luxury of time, find out what the differences are between the programs at Suffolk and BU, evaluate them, and then you can decide. Most departments have tours and will also permit you to speak to a couple of professors (although it's summer--not sure how many of the professors are around).

With regard to the number of international students at BU, that can be a benefit or a flaw, depending on how you look at it. With the world going global and international, more international students will ensure you obtain a wide and more global perspective as well.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

-Diana