The Aquafarm costs about $60, depending on what promotions they have running at the time. For that price, I think it's a definite buy if you have any interest in gardening or aquaponics. It's also a great gift for a garden lover.
However, students who attend lower-ranked schools can still take a rigorous curriculum. Wherever you go to school, it's important to take the most advanced courses available and to take advantage of elective credits to strengthen your engineering education.
I recently talked to my father who was an Engineer for the Air force and he talked to me about the importance in excelling in STEM, which is the current program I am in, and in excelling in problem solving. I often contemplate what it truly takes to get into college to major with an Engineering degree.