How should I compare Boston University and Purdue for computer science as a high school student?

For undergraduate computer science, Purdue is usually the more compelling option to prioritize on a college list. Boston University is still a solid choice, but it tends to stand out more for its urban location and broader cross-disciplinary flexibility than for beating Purdue on core CS strength.

One major difference is employer access tied directly to the program. Purdue has long-standing visibility with tech companies and engineering-focused recruiters, and its CS students benefit from a campus culture where computing, engineering, and quantitative fields are central rather than adjacent. That usually translates into more classmates targeting the same internships, more technical student organizations, and a stronger peer environment for coding interviews, hackathons, systems work, and project-based preparation.

Another difference is academic structure and scale. Purdue’s CS department is part of a university with a very pronounced STEM identity, so the course ecosystem around math, data, AI, systems, cybersecurity, and engineering-related computing is especially robust for undergraduates. BU offers good opportunities too, especially if you want to combine CS with areas like business, economics, media, or health applications, but the overall campus identity is less centered on CS in the way Purdue’s is.

The location question matters, but in a specific way. BU gives you Boston, which can be excellent for internships during the school year, startup exposure, and access to a dense city environment. Purdue gives you more of a traditional campus experience in a college town. Put Purdue higher if you want the stronger pure-CS and engineering environment, and keep BU higher only if Boston itself and BU’s urban, cross-disciplinary setup are major parts of what you want from college.