<p>Hey guys, I was just wondering about some of the progams at the cal states. A lot of people say that Cal Poly Slo for example has a top engineering program that is better than ucla's or usc's and tied with berkeleys yet on US news Cal poly slo isn't included for either undergraduate or graduate engineering programs. Also, people say that CSUN has a top business school in the country but I don't see it on us news at all. Do these cal states really hold top 5 positions in programs or is that just bias?</p>
<p>You have to look at the criteria for the rankings. </p>
<p>Rankings doesn’t equal to job placement. You could be a low ranked school and top recruiters can be there. I doubt recruiters come to schools due to USNews rankings. It is more likely that they do recruit there because the previous employees they hired from there were very good.</p>
<p>Well cal poly is one of the best schools for engineering in the state. US news ranking are not that accurate. They focus on bogus criteria for their ratings. Some schools are strong in some areas while weak in others</p>
<p>Hmm, well cal is like #2 in the country for engineering, usc is #11 and ucla is # like 14 in the country. Is that mean that Cal Poly Slo is also about second best in the country being about the same as MIT and Cal Tech?</p>
<p>Berkeley is strong in every field, while SLO is known more for its engineering and business. Also, Berkeley has much more prestige and name recognition than Calpoly, even if the quality of education is probably just as good at either.</p>
<p>I doubt Goldman Sachs recruits at CSUN</p>
<p>Caltech and MIT should be considered the top. Honestly though, I turned down UCSD to go to Cal State Long Beach. I just wen’t to the school I was more comfortable with. Don’t go to the school solely on prestige. How successful you are doesn’t just depend on the school but you. There are plenty of UCLA, Berkley, graduates that don’t make that much more or less then a student that attended Riverside, or cal state. IMO if your an engineering or business student, there are plenty of ways to show off your smarts. In other words rankings don’t matter THAT much. and rankings can change over time.</p>
<p>matark makes a good point. Cal Poly SLO has some great programs, and recruiters often love their graduates in those fields. Others can be a bit ho-hum. If you attend a Berkeley or UCLA, no one will ever frown on your degree (aside from a Stanford or USC graduate, of course). They’re good at pretty much everything and employers know that. There’s a built-in, nationwide and international brand that goes along with Cal and UCLA. </p>
<p>While SLO has a following in certain fields, I doubt it will ever have anywhere near the brand that the top two UCs do. In this economy, and likely in the economy in the next decade or so, brand is going to matter more. There are simply too many people who can do the job, so employers have to hire based on the best brand. I’d prefer a brand that’s known internationally. It’s a silly distinction since the education can be just as good at SLO, but it’s still how it works in the real world.</p>
<p>Thats true to some aspects depending. Be willing to compromise in pay in todays economy its a good choice that your pursuing engineering. FYI both csu and uc are predicting a possible $1 billion cut to the system. If your willing to pay twice as much for a brand and confident that you will find a job afterwards then go for it. There are plenty of PH.D Professors being layed off as we speak at my community college. They are very angry indeed, being graduates from UCLA, Berkley, and now being let go because they can not be afforded. Some new professors in the architecture program have already negotiated for lesser pay. So although the previous poster may prefer the brand, the employer may not have pockets deep enough to pay that brand. And heck how would you know who your employer is already, they may have attended SLO and have a lot of love for that school. I would be more worried about debt, loans, interest, then prestige and possible job hirings. Are we really in an economic time were we can pay for more prestige? Isn’t that how the economy got itself into debt in the first place? I agree with nick that UCLA, Berkley is nationwide brand, that may help if you plan on working outside of California. But if you plan on sticking around SLO is very prestigious in California that only an engineering idiot wouldn’t have heard of that school.</p>
<p>Go for the school that you can afford and comfortable with finishing your degree at.</p>
<p>Just adding a note: Keep in mind that these are all public schools, and classes are being cut heavily because of the CA budget issues. I have a good friend at CSU Long Beach (aerospace engineering major) who will be graduating 1-2 years late because she can’t get classes she needs. This is a big, unexpected financial burden on her family; she thought she would be looking for a job this summer. From what I’ve heard, students are having this problem a lot more at CSUs than at UCs. Two of my best friends also left San Jose State for USF, for the same reason of class unavailability. It’s pretty relevant info right now in terms of making your choice IMO.</p>
<p>Correct, students at csu are having difficult times getting classes but it is the same at UC. UC are staying a bit more afloat then csu but will also go down the same transition soon enough. As of right now UC’s are actually more open to applicant’s then CSU’s. </p>
<p>It will be a bit more clear on may 16th with the revisions being released on California educational budget. Then we will see a clearer picture on how worse it will be from then on in both the CSU, UC system.</p>
<p>I sort of think a undergraduate focused university like Cal Poly doesn’t really need to directly compare itself to a large university like UC Berkeley. After all, Harvey Mudd and Cooper Union are plenty prestigious and well known engineering without having to compare themselves to Cal’s engineering. </p>
<p>Generally, CP’s engineering standing within academia and industry is no doubt highly respected. Calpoly is also known for its top architecture school (something like #4 in the US for undergrad), its top agriculture school (one of the top 3 in the US undergrad or something), and also known for its b-school. So being known for 4 out of 6 of its colleges aren’t too shabby.</p>
<p>There must be a reason for why Cal Poly graduates have some of the highest starting and mid-career salary in the US. </p>
<p>Also, through speaking with some of the faculty of Cal Poly SLO, they alluded that the University will be managing the severe budget cuts through substantially reducing number of students admitted (i.e. shrinking the size of the student body), and increasing Out of State enrollment while decreasing in-state enrollment. Supposedly, current Cal Poly students should be shielded from the impact of the funding cuts. Whether this will work or not is a big question.</p>
<p>@Nabilesmail</p>
<p>Cal Poly’s ranking is listed under non-doctorate granting engineering schools (i.e. Master is its highest degree granted). The university is ranked against the likes of Harvey Mudd, Cooper Union, West Point, Naval Academy, etc…</p>
<p>My eldest son is a sophomore Geology major with minors in Math and Physics at CSU Sacramento. He has had some problem getting the lower division courses that are also requirements for Engineering majors but has finished three semesters of Calculus and one of Physics. Once he gets Physics II And III and Chem I done he will be finished with lower division courses and should have no trouble getting classes in upper Division Geology, Physics and Math courses since there are very few majors in any of these subjects at Sac State.</p>
<p>However, I am concerned about this issue of branding. Sac State is not a very prestigious brand compared to UCLA. Geology is not a popular major anywhere yet industry and government appears to have a continuing need for Geologists/Geophysicists. How likely is it that when recruiting geologists major oil companies and government agencies could decide to hire UCLA graduates, a top brand, with BAs in Communications, Psychology, Biology, Philosophy and Anthropology and decide to give them on the job training in Geology/ Geophysics then settle for a low brand name like Sac State even though the graduate from there has a BS in Geology with considerable coursework in Physics and Math for entry level Geology/Geophysics positions?</p>
<p>I had always thought that the major would be more important than the school it was taken at but am now beginning to wonder if indeed brand name of the school trumps everything and any major from UCLA is going to be preferable over a Sac State graduate who majored in the field that the job would be in.</p>
<p>@Lemaitre1: Do you know if the government or other private institutions are actively recruiting on your son’s campus? That’s usually a good litmus test for the want of graduating students from any particular school.</p>
<p>@Lamaitre1: You fears are unfounded on this issue. There is no way that any engineering firm or the government would ever pick a bio, anthro, or comm major over a geo major for such a position no matter where they went. In fact, most firms and the government prefer geology students who attend a csu for undergrad and a UC for grad which is the most common route for geologists. Many who graduate in geology from sac state, hayward state, and sd state end up at UCLA for grad school anyways. Your son has nothing to worry about, especially if ends up with a minor in math and/or physics.</p>
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<p>A large number of engineering and business graduates, relative to humanities and biology graduates, can raise the average pay for graduates of the university.</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO is good, but major by major comparisons of graduates’ jobs and pay rates are likely to be a bit more informative than entire school comparisons.</p>
<p>@USMC0311 You doubt wrong.</p>
<p>Why the hell would you want to work for goldman sachs those greedy pieces of **** need to go down.</p>
<p>@twistnswif</p>
<p>Because those greedy pieces of **** will put you in the top 5% of income earners in your first five years and give you experience and connections that will make you extremely marketable if you ever want a job elsewhere.</p>
<p>WHAT? If i got a job offer from them id say **** off. You know why they earn top 5% income??? because they are crooks!!! THEY TAKE ALL YOUR MONEY AND THEY JUST WANT MORE AND MORE!!!</p>