Hello Community,
When comparing out of cal states nationally ranked colleges ( e.g. Purdue and UIUC) vs regional colleges like Cal Poly Pomona, how to justify additional cost for OOS colleges ? There are perceived benefits with nationally ranked colleges due to ‘ranking’, college experience, alumni and national job opportunities.
How much of a difference does it make for initial/subsequent job opportunities from OOS compared to job opportunities at regional colleges like CPP ?
Thanks,
I would think CPP has more opportunity due to its location. much more recruiter would be in LA than Urbana or wherever purdue is.
When the additional cost requires no debt or pain for the people paying it! CPP is a super deal. It isn’t a household name outside CA- but happily, engineers know how good it is, and that’s who will be hiring you 
Going out of state is like asking, “Which $200,000 Toyota Camry should I buy?” The answer is the one that costs $25,000. It doesn’t matter how “ranked” the $200,000 car is…it’s a Toyota Camry!
My husband’s company recruits consistently from Cal Poly Pomona for Engineers and prefers Cal Poly Pomona over many other Southern California University grads. If you want to work in California, then CPP is great option and even if it is not, my husband’s company has offices all over the US so many great opportunties as a CPP grad.
i am with the consensus above - CPP is a very good school and a screaming bargain for CA students. IMHO it would be foolish to incur a big debt load to go to one the others you list.
Have you been admitted to all of these?
If your parents can comfortably afford any of the schools (no loans/no hardship) and are willing to spend the money then you should feel free to pick the one that seems to be the best fit.
If money is an issue at all then I’d run to CPP – it is a wonderful and cost-effective option.
Thank you all for your insights, very helpful, This is for my D who has been accepted and strongly considering these 3 colleges with bent towards OOS colleges.
The two OOS colleges you mentioned, Purdue and UIUC, are in the Big 10 sports conference and have a much different college atmosphere and experience than CPP. CPP probably has a higher percentage of commuters. Purdue and UIUC can be more fun with the student spirit, Greek activities and academically challenging, etc. My friend’s son graduated from SF State University as an undergraduate and is now in the PhD program at Purdue. The Purdue expenence has been great compared to SFSU, mainly a commuter school. If costs do not create a financial burden, your daughter might consider the OOS colleges. Purdue and UIUC are also very well known for STEM, including CS, majors.