I’m a U.S citizen living abroad and I’ve SIRed to UCLA for mechanical engineering. I’m not in-state so I have to pay around 60 thousand dollars per year including dorms and everything. My father is financially capable of paying for my tuition, but he wants me to take some time to think about paying that much for college. He doesn’t mind paying 60 thou a year, but he told me that this was effectively some of my own money which I will inherit from him one day. So basically it’s now in my hands to either pay about $300,000 (with travel expenses) for UCLA, or about $100,000 for my local university (top in my country and the middle east, not well-known anywhere else) (About rank 700ish in USWNR lol). I want to live and work in the states, and I also really want to have the typical college experience. UCLA also has great academics and a reputation that goes with it. My question is: is UCLA worth the extra $200,000 if money is not an issue and will a degree from it make up for the difference in tuition?
Also, my goal is to get an mba or a master’s in industrial engineering degree from a top 10 university.
I would not bank on living and working in the US. Visa for school ends when school ends. Coming to the US to join the work force is an entirely separate process–and one I would not count on.
He said in the first sentence that he’s a US citizen.
For the OP, UCLA’s OOS price tag puts it into competition with all the top private schools. Whether or not it’s “worth it” is something only you can decide, but the education is certainly world-class. You would have a much more difficult time landing a job in the US with a degree from a middle-eastern school that nobody’s ever heard of.
Anyone else?
Yes, I think it is. But that is also relevant or subject to your capacity to pay.
UCLA is a fantastic school and has a global appeal. And a degree from UCLA is recognized worldwide. As an international student, living and studying in the US would be a totally new experience for you, and that alone is worth the price tag that UCLA charges, in my opinion.
If you can well afford it, assuming you receive an offer from them, I’d say pack your things and go.
If you want a career in the US, a UCLA degree is more likely to help you to achieve that goal. Is the school in your country of residence nationally/internationally accredited for engineering?
Wow, I’m in the same situation as you - US citizen living abroad, enrolled at CSE at UCLA - and now thinking over the massive costs of it all.
But I think it can pay off, if you do well enough, there are millions of opportunities that UCLA will expose you to - and this will make all the difference.
@reden2016 Yes I have already been accepted.
@mamaedefamilia Yes the local university’s engineering majors are ABET accredited.
To be honest with you, I closed my eyes on UCLA for 36 years (as a USC gratuate), while living in Westwood or nearbys until my daughter enrolled in UCLA last year! Now that I finally opened my eyes, I realize how ignorant I was all these years and how wonderful and beautiful is UCLA!
OP I’m assuming that your Lebanese like me so I think my advice will help you. It’s my first year at UCLA and last quarter I did a short study abroad at AUB and I can tell you that they’re completely different universities. In AUB it’s a lot easier to meet people and more people go out clubbing (USA drinking age is 21). But the classes and professors are not even close to the level of UCLA.
So in the end it depends what you want. UCLA is mostly Americans so if you like their culture you’ll enjoy it, but if you like the atmosphere of Beirut you should probably go to AUB.
Don’t focus too much on the rankings because in the end if you’re not happy at the school you won’t have motivation to work hard.
PM me if you want more info about UCLA or AUB
If your other collage alternative is ranked 700ish in the world, according to USWNR, and UCLA ranked 8th, then perhaps you need to think hard and not lose that chance for any price?