Prospective student from the area here —- here are my two cents, but keep in mind these are the opinion of someone who doesn’t know what he is talking about.

From an educational quality standpoint, they are comparable. I personally like the rural feeling of UMass Amherst a lot more than the city surroundings of Boston University.

Educational quality also stems from the quality of your classmates. In that regard, UMass Amherst is a bit worse than Boston University, which has better rankings and attracts students whose families are more affluent. Finding a job with a BU degree is going to be easier than with an Amherst degree from what I understand.

Personally, I’d choose UMass Amherst because it’s cheaper and some of my smart friends go there (due to affirmative action going to another level this past year blocking out Ivies for a bunch of Asians).