Cambridge vs Duke

Hey guys, I have been really glad of being accepted to both Cambridge University, Engineering and Duke University(just off the waitlist). So, I have been having a hard time of choosing between Cambridge (engineering) vs Duke (engi/maths/finance+ CS double major).
Which one appears to you as a better option? I am an international student and both are without any financial assistance.
Thanks a lot!

Where is your home country? If you are from a country that belongs to the EU – and for as long as Britain remains part of the EU – your tuition will be less that 1/4 of that of Duke. If you are from a non-EU country, it will be about half. And that would be for 3 years – not four. Much better value at Cambridge than at Duke in my opinion and certainly more prestigious institution.

Unless the finances don’t matter in the least and only if you crave the quintessential American college experience, there’s no reason to pay a premium for Duke over Cambridge.

There’s a significant difference in curriculum. Do you want to study just engineering (Cambrdge) or a variety of subjects with the opportunity to change your mind (Duke)?

But Cambridge sould be both cheaper and more prestigious, especially in an international context.

Agree with most of the above. Note that the Cambridge engineering program is 4 years (not 3), but that you get a Master’s degree. Also, what engineering do you want to study? Cambridge engineering is probably superior to Duke engineering in all areas except for biomedical engineering. It sounds like you are more inclined towards EE/CS. The Cambridge program is pretty broad for the first 2 years, whereas the Duke program will be broad for the first year.

Duke will give you a broader education, more of an American collegiate undergraduate experience, and more flexibility to create your own interdisciplinary program. But it will cost much more. Cambridge will be more focused and less interdisciplinary, the level of engineering education will probably be higher, you will get a Master’s degree in the same time that it would get a Bachelor’s degree at Duke, and it will be much cheaper.

Ahh, unfortunately, I am a Chinese, so can’t enjoy the EU privilege. And finance matters really a lot to me. But, on the other hand, if I pushed myself a bit,I am well able to graduate from Duke in 3 years as well in my opinion, haha.

Thanks for your input! I was pretty much set for engineering. But it would be better if I can equip myself with the necessary CS skills for easy employment. So I guess engi+ CS would be great

Yes, to me, 3/4 years is a big issue! I read on the Cambridge website that engineering students generally take 4 years courses for a master degree. I wondered whether it is possible to graduate with 3 years for a bachelor degree and do my master somewhere else like in Stanford. Maybe not an engineering master but a CS master ( cos in this case, I got the experiences in both countries and enjoy the higher salary at US. Also, I might apply financial aid for master degree and minimize my cost). I am quite uncertain about this.
I prefer information engineering or electrical engineering. So, nothing related to bio haha.

Where do you want to end up working long-term? US UK or China?

Because if you want to work in the U.S. as your first job, it’ll be easier to go through the job application process as a Duke senior than a Cambridge University senior. If you’re planning on going directly to a Master’s program, then that element doesn’t really matter, as recruitment will happen when you’re in grad school.

Also, there often isn’t much financial aid available for master’s degrees, especially to internationals.

A vote for Cambridge here…and that’s from a Duke grad.

I’ve been working on my dissertation in the UK this year and practically had to be dragged away from Cambridge and Oxford when it was time to move on. Such beautiful universities, and the facilities are amazing.

Ahh , is grad school financial aid more difficult to get even than an undergrad financial aid? I would love to end up working in US as it has more opportunities and salary pay. But is it a possibility to apply for US job from another country like UK?(without study in US first)

Haha, didn’t have time to visit yet. But what you said sounds cheering!

Oh yes! I have an essential question to ask!(forgot to put in)
How hard is it to get into large Tech companies like Apple/Linkedin/Microsoft/Google from Cambridge versus Duke?(internship as well as job offer)
Because I heard from my seniors from Duke that Duke’s pratt is a target school and most Duke students got into these companies and it is not hard. But my seniors from Cambridge told me it is not easy to get into them due to interviews and selections…
Is it actually the case? because of the UK vs US culture?
So the answer to this problem can be a real game-changer for me.
Thanks guys!

@199dreams I would say go to cambridsge undergrad do well and then do your graduate degree at a top US university. You won’t have trouble breaking into good US jobs as a graduate student at a top US university.

Also with your cambridge degree you won’t have any trouble getting into a top US school provided you do well.

^ That’s true for Duke as well, but 4 years at Cam for engineering would be slightly cheaper but Duke offers more flexibility.

If you’re good enough, grad school in the US is funded.

Also, do NOT expect to work in the US. I may happen, or it may not. The H1B visa is (literally) a lottery and the total supply of visas for the year was exhausted in five days this year, with graduate students (Master’s/PHD) having priority over BA/BS students. Many companies simply stopped trying.

Master’s programs often are not funded, though PhD programs are almost always funded.

I’m guessing you want to get a Master’s and then work? Check the pages of top master’s programs in your field…I’m pretty sure they’re not funded, though I could be wrong.

I did a Master’s at Harvard and it definitely was not funded.

I don’t know enough about tech recruiting from Cambridge, but you really should find out the answer to that question from people who would know (either recruits or seniors in your field.) I do know that students at Duke have a good pipeline for recruiting straight from undergrad…not sure about Cambridge.

If you want to do undergrad at Cambridge and then directly get a Master’s in the US, providing you do well enough at Cam, that should be pretty feasible. And then once you have the US Master’s you’re in the built-in pipeline for recruiting in the US.

As for direct US recruiting from Cambridge? Ask seniors and/or recruiters. There actually are large differences between UK and US culture and the intricacies of getting jobs, esp. depending on field. I know you’re not premed, but did you know that even if you graduated from Harvard Medical School, British residencies won’t take you because they preferentially accept people from the EU? A low-level student from Slovakia takes automatic precedence over the most elite U.S. medical students. (Though with Brexit, that might change in the future.)

As you might know, if you want to get a job in the UK, things are getting much harder now for international students, even those at Oxbridge, because of the increasingly strict visa policies. Though as an engineer you’re way less suspect to that pressure bc there’s a higher demand. But, in order for you to get a UK job based on current immigration policies, your company has to prove to UK immigration that not only aren’t there any qualified UK applicants for the job, but also no qualified EU applicants. My best friend graduated from an Ivy for undergrad, did a Master’s at LSE, and can’t find a job appropriate to her level in London because of her U.S. status. She’s probably going to get a PhD in the UK and then hope her UK citizenship clears by then…pretty unfortunate policy imo.

I’ve spent some time at Cambridge, and the college campus IS gorgeous. Really stunning. But I think that matters less than your recruitment opportunities if you’re set on getting a job straight out.

*Edit: Oh yeah, though given the tumult of the U.S. and H1B visas, who can really say what will happen in a few years when you graduate re: those.

If you want to work in the US and want that traditional American prestigious University experience, then Duke. Cambridge is more prestigious on the international stage, but both are top level elite schools, and Dukes engineering program has drastically improved over the decades. Me, personally, I would choose Duke, unless the finances at Cambridge were cheaper.

At the end of the day, I would advise you to choose based off of where you want to spend the next 4 years, the type of experience you want, and recruitment opportunities; the educational levels between the two are similar, so that shouldn’t be a huge factor.

Cambridge is more intellectual and Duke more preprofessional /materialistic though.

@MYOS1634 I agree with the intellectual and preprofessional points, but what do you mean by materialistic, if I may ask?

That sounds much easier than the undergraduate application~ thanks!