IIT, MSOE, or UIC for engineering?

College Search & Selection
1

I’m planning to go into engineering, so I’m trying to determine between colleges. Okay, I’m pretty sure IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) has the best engineering program out the three colleges I listed. However, getting into IIT for me is no guarantee. I’m planning to apply soon. So my secondary options are MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) and UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago).

I’ve looked at rankings and it’s all conflicting. It seems MSOE graduates make more money out of graduation, but it also seems to be more pricey to attend. They do have a good record for providing financial aid, though. I live near Chicago so UIC would be pretty cheap for me to go (about 17K). I could commute there to save money from dorms. Illinois is in some serious money trouble, so I’m really not sure how much I could be getting with financial aid if I stay in state.

I really am looking for a good college and engineering experience. I’m also aiming for prestige, so I would like to know just how well one college is over the other. If UIC is better than MSOE, then I can definitely choose UIC before I choose MSOE. I’ve heard negative reports from MSOE, but I’ve also heard good reports, so I’m just not sure how to feel. I’ve heard the social life isn’t the best, but that’s not a big concern for me. The thing about UIC if that I feel like I’m not getting a good experience from it-- I’ve heard that it’s where a lot of “dumber” people go if they can’t get into better colleges. Does it even have a good engineering program? How does MSOE compare against UIC? What are the pros and cons of choosing one or the other?

Also, can someone give a good example on how IIT compares to the other options? I’m sure it’s better, but wondering if there’s anything I should know before planning to go there.

2

Have you run the net price calculator on each school’s web site?

3

Price right now isn’t my biggest concern. I’m more curious about which schools have the better engineering programs. I’m stuck between UIC and MSOE as a secondary option. I’m not sure which one is better than the other.

4

You should really talk to your parents about how much they will contribute to your college costs, and run the net price calculators to see if the colleges are likely to be affordable. You do not want to be like the students who post in April saying that all of the acceptances are to colleges that are too expensive.

5

I have talked to my parents a little about this. If price is my biggest issue, then I can definitely resort to UIC because it’s a pretty cheap and close school. My grades and tests are good enough to get me in.

6

Anyway, you need not decide now; you can apply to all of these (and perhaps others) and then compare admissions and financial aid before deciding. Of course, at least one must be a safety that you know you will be admitted to and know that you can afford.