“However if you value a higher tier engineering degree over the presence of good liberal arts programs, then I’d say Caltech or GT.”
dagriff, your post is detailed and, for the most post, I am sure it is spot on. However, I don’t see how GT or Caltech are a higher tier in Engineering. They are all considered peers in Engineering, particularly in the OP’s chosen fields (AE and MechE). I have seldom seen a ranking that separates those three by more than 2 or 3 spots.