<p>pierre0913,</p>
<p>Just so you know, Northwestern’s engineering program is generally higher ranked than Rice. Also, other than my obvious bias, the reason I recommended Northwestern is that I honestly believe their unique first-year curriculum and their focus on design sets it apart from most other peers and this advantage is never reflected in published graduate ranking. But as a former practicing engineer who went through the traditional curriculum that’s still followed by most other engineering schools, I can say with 100% confidence that their unique curriculum is superior.</p>