I'd send him with a beater laptop first and see where that gets him ... Either your old Mac or get a decent pc laptop for $600. Last time I checke all engineering programs ran on pc. Also, he can always upgrade as needed. It is a dick move by the university to spec only a Mac and no equivalent PC!
Total bs to bring up cost of education as a reason to get a top of the line machine. thats the attitude that got us these ridiculous college costs in the first place.
While not an engineering college, my kid went to a private middle school and was the ONLY kid that didn't have a >1k Mac. First the kids made fun of her 350 dollar hp until they found out it had a touch screen ...
I am sure you have the funds but this is about a lot more than the computer. Kids need to learn to define themselves through other things than the latest gadget. A phone or computers are tools, not status symbols.
Good luck!