When pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, is it better to attend one of the top Engineering Focused Schools (Caltech, GTech, RPI, etc.) or can a degree from a liberal arts oriented college be just as good if the college also offers engineering (Swarthmore, Union, etc.)?
I understand that there will most likely be more extensive research and greater technology at an engineering/research focused school. However, isn’t there also a chance that you won’t be able to get into the exact research or design projects that you want? Since there are so many students, and since many of these colleges focus more on their graduate students.
Then, at a smaller college, they may not have as much cutting-edge technology, but one would be more likely to have a chance to take part in the exact research groups they want, since there are less students and often less emphasis on the graduate programs.
Thus, taking these points into account, which type of college is better for a prospective engineer to attend? Personally, I do not like the idea of a college with that many students, but I don’t know if a smaller college will have all of the resources needed as an engineer. So, what are the pros and cons of each? Is one definitively better than the other? Feel free to correct me on anything I’ve said. Any advice or input is appreciated. Thanks.