<p>im_blue,</p>
<p>I don't dispute the fact that if your goal is to be a professor at a top 5 engineering school, then you should try to go to a top 5 engineering school. But becoming a professor at a top 5 school involves incredible talent coupled with lots of luck. Lower down the food chain, say at a school ranked 15-30, still quite respectable, I think you will find a bit more diversity in where faculty got their PhDs. Of course, the top 5 schools will be overrepresented at even these schools.</p>