I am a current high school senior who is pursing Computer Science next year. I’ve been accepted into the University of Kentucky (UK) and Georgia Tech both for CS. I’m in-state for Kentucky, and have been accepted into the Lewis Honors College. However, Georgia Tech has a much better Computer Science program with the threads curriculum.
Is Georgia Tech’s program worth the OOS tuition? I don’t have a huge attachment to staying in-state, and I would actually rather live somewhere else as I’ve lived in the same town that UK is in, and I’m just ready for a “change of scenery”. If money weren’t an issue, I would probably chose Georgia Tech, but I’m not sure if it is worth taking on loans.
Stats (if it helps any):
ACT: 33
10 AP Classes
7 Dual Enrollment Courses
Good ECs
UW GPA: 4.0
W GPA 4.87
What is the total COA (cost of attendance) for each school ?
Without any merit or financial aid, Georgia Tech looks as though it would cost a bit more than $47,000 per year not including travel, books & other fees. Assuming an increase in tuition rates, Ga. Tech could cost you $50,000 a year.
Have you contacted Georgia Tech office of admissions & financial aid to see if there is a way to get in-state rates in your subsequent years ?
Also, you need to discuss employment stats & salaries for Georgia Tech CS graduates.
Bonuses can be huge for computer engineers who work for top companies.
Based purely on academics, I pretty much never believe paying out of state fees to go to a public university is worth it. The question here is whether out of state tuition is worth it for a change of scenery.
You can always get a change in scenery when you graduate college and are working full-time. Then you can move wherever you want!
You don’t say how you will pay for the OOS tuition at Georgia Tech, but you hint that it would require debt. You also don’t say whether or not GT has given you any aid, but I’m going to doubt it. GT might mot even be possible for you - you can’t borrow more than about $30K total on your own; the rest you’d have to get a parent to co-sign. But even with that said, if you had to borrow the full cost of attendance at GT that’s absolutely not worth it. You’ll struggle to repay that debt for many years.
Go to UK and make the most of the honors experience! Seek out internships and other ways to get experience in CS, and you’ll be able to land a job post-college.