<p>I see a lot of people asking which college is the best in engineering in these forums, responded to with extensive lists on what USA Today or whatever had to say about which school is better in various engineering majors.</p>
<p>But I've also heard that as long as the engineering class is ABET credited, it really doesn't matter which school you go to (as long as you go to a decent school, like say the 20s-40s in the USA Today List), the material will be just the same (with a few differences in resources, probably because of the budget the college has for the major). Which is different from what I've heard about law and business majors, but those are admittedly completely different.</p>
<p>So which is it? Should I really bother aspiring to a big-time university when a middle-ground one would do just fine? Would the amount of job offers I receive have any substantial difference between the two?</p>
<p>No not all engineering schools are the same. Better school == more selective == smarter students. So yeah on average you don't see a difference because average engineering company hiring an AutoCAD slave (probably majority of Co's) won't care. But the companies looking to hire real minds will care if it's #40 engineering school or #20.</p>
<p>yes. the name on the school matters. especially if youre talking about mobility (being able to get a job in more places across the nation). mid size schools are okay. but if you can go for a more prestigious school then go for it (money and others not being a factor).</p>
<pre><code> I think in general the school you go to is not that critical. What is much more critical is your performance at that school and the work experience you gain while in school. When you go into an interview you will have to stand out, your school will not speak for you.
I teach at a small engineering school and our students are getting multiple job offers, getting accepted into top graduate schools and are doing very well once they are employed. You don't need to go to a highly ranked school to have success. Remember that rankings are not based on the quality of instruction you will get but are instead based on research and reputation.
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<p>I don't think it matters what enginnering school you go to. My dad was an apprentice for two years in England and then came to America. He is one of the best engineers in his field and many people from MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley work below him. What I think does matter though is what experience you have in the field and if you can think critically like a "true engineer" should.</p>
<p>I think it can matter if the variety of major fields/ sub-major fields/ course offerings in particular areas is rather limited.</p>
<p>As an entering freshman many people don't know what particular specialty area within the broad umbrella of engineering really turns them on the most. If your school doesn't even have certain areas covered, to a reasonable extent, then that is just one road you will never travel. You may never be the wiser, or realize that you've lost anything. You can still go to grad school, etc- trained in whatever your school actually has. But there is still an unrecognized opportunity cost for the road not taken.</p>
<p>A little while ago on this board someone was promoting the merits of a particular small program. I looked at it. They didn't even offer one of the core, basic broad significant major fields of engineering at all. And the sub-field of electrical engineering that I eventually wound up choosing to practice in was completely absent.</p>
<p>Recruiting is also an area where I would be concerned about in a small program. I would want to carefully investigate how many/ what type engineering companies actually recruit on campus there.</p>
<p>It could be that your field of potential initial employers may be more limited.</p>
<p>A lot of engineering recruting is geographically focused, and I would think the smaller programs would have an even more regional tilt to their on-campus hiring, such as it is.</p>
<p>But you'd have to check.</p>
<p>Past the first job, frankly I don't think it matters much at all.</p>
<p>The firm I worked at, when I was an engineer had grads from: Cornell, MIT, Rice, U Illinois-Urbana. Working right alongside grads of U Illinois-Chicago Circle- a not terribly selective school at the time. Schools of different selectivity, and all these guys were doing the same entry-level job. Possibly the guys from the less selective schools did relatively better there; they may have been top of their class. But as long as the place interviews there, you have a chance of getting in, and once you're in it's all up to you.</p>