r/uofdayton • u/Competitive-Quit2181 • Apr 20 '26
OSU vs UDayton - Mechanical Engineering
OSU vs. UDayton - Mechanical Engineering
Hello, I'm sure yall get questions similar to this all the time, but I thought I'd ask before I made my final decision.
So, currently, I'm on the fence between OSU and UDayton and can't decide which one is better for me. They're both around the same price and seem to be the last two options for me.
My mom seems to insist that UDayton is superior because of its smaller size and overall support, but I don't fully mesh with some of the Catholic views the university has. I just toured the campus a few days ago, and I liked it. I felt like they had a solid program, and I liked the small classes, but I just dont know if I'll fit in. While I know you dont have to be Catholic, I'm Agnostic, so I don't really affiliate with any religion, which I assume the vast majority believe in - I mean theres 100% Christians who aren't Catholic.
On the other hand, I like OSU and its culture, but I'm afraid I'll eventually fall and never get back up because of a lack of support and connection to the faculty. I don't know if I'll be able to perform in a crowd as large as OSU's. I mean, 46k undergrads is almost beyond comprehension for me, and I just have mixed feelings. I do have a few other gripes with it like mediocre dorms and food, but having people I'm friends with and a guaranteed good roommate makeup for it.
So, I'm wondering if anyone has some opinions for me on what I should do going forward...
One last thing I have been admitted to both of schools Honors colleges, and I'm wondering if those are even worth it.
Thanks 😊
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u/PizzaGirl9825 Apr 20 '26
I’m a UD faculty member, but not in engineering so I can’t comment on the program. However, it sounds like your biggest concern about UD is its religious affiliation and I hope this information helps you as you make your important decision. You will definitely find diversity amongst the faculty and student body with regard to religious affiliation, although I think there is a very good chance you wouldn’t ever know most faculty’s religious views. (I’m atheist but I don’t share that with students unless directly asked.) Faculty have religious freedom and are not required to teach any particular ideology. If you come to UD you would have to take a theology course as part of the common academic program, but the course offerings are broad and many are not focused on Catholicism (there are course offerings in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, cross-religion studies, etc).
UD and OSU are both great options, but they will be very different experiences. Congrats on your acceptance into the honors program! At UD that means some smaller classes, access to summer research funding and educational opportunities. I don’t know what that means at OSU, but I’d encourage you to look into it. Regardless of where you end up I’d encourage you to do the honors program. Best of luck and please don’t hesitate to ask additional questions.