So I have pretty much decided that I am either OSU or UC to study electrical engineering and I am not sure which I want to go to. Pretty much all of my credits transfer to both schools so that is no longer a reason to tip my hat towards Cinci. When I toured both, they were almost identical in terms of what they offered (services, class wise, sports, etc.) and are roughly the same tuition so the toss up is really their engineering programs.
What would you guys recommend based on personal experience or from what you have read? Last I checked OSU was ranked 31 for engineering whereas UC was ranked 81. Another thing I noticed looking at the curriculum for EE at both schools UC’s was more set in stone but OSU seemed liked it gave you more leeway with what classes you could take. I know UC’s coop program is mandated but OSU’s is not. Even though OSU’s is not mandatory, what is the likelihood of being able to for lack of a better word participate in their coop program because I remember one post in the past saying your not as likely to get into it at OSU. Any insight you could provide would be great.
If you really want to coop, then I recommend U.Cincinnati. Their coop is considered one of the best in the nation, while OSU’s is hardly on the radar screen. Coops are definitely valuable in helping you get a job after graduation.
^ I agree.
Should their program rankings matter as much since they are relatively close?
The Ohio State University has an optional co-op program (see https://ecs.osu.edu/ecip ), while University of Cincinnati has a greater emphasis on co-ops (see http://www.uc.edu/propractice/uccoop.html ). So how much you want to do co-ops should be a big factor in your decision.
You might want to ask yourself a hypothetical question. You’re now in your early forties, you earned that BSEE about twenty years ago, you have not attended postgraduate school, you have moved on to other professional challenges, and you no longer live in Ohio or in the North Central states. Which university will command the greater respect?
Uh, neither? Once you have the degree and are in the workplace the only time your school comes up is in relation to football results.
@"Erin’s Dad" (re #6): We’ll again have to “agree to disagree” regarding this matter. In 45+ years since my Bachelor’s and 35+ since my MBA, my experiences apparently strongly disagrees with yours (I’m not suggesting you’re wong, but my observations do not support your position). To illustrate, in most substantial proposals for DoD/intelligence community business, every senior leader’s detailed resume – including universities attended and degrees earned – is required documentation. Similarly, local and national honor societies’ elections pay considerable attention to educational attainments, specifically including the universities that conferred one’s degrees. Further, membership selection for key Boards and Executive Committees (commercial, civic, philanthropic, etc.) always considers a candidates degrees and universities. Even local country clubs/city clubs require this data for membership committee membership assessment. These example may be more prevalent in areas like Washington and New York, than they are in most of the nation. However, these cities have importance and an individual’s credibility is, in part, enhanced or diminished by their formal schooling.
I’ve evaluated and written those same proposals. The college one graduated from is never an evaluation criterion for them. The metric is whether the school is accredited. But it’s only been 32 years since my BS and 24 since my MS. 
@"Erin’s Dad": I don’t agree (I know you’ll be shocked ). Accreditation is only the “threshold;” however, gaining the trust of senior USG leaders is the result of presenting unblemished excellent in every phase of the effort and in every element of every individuals background. Whether somethings are formal evaluation criteria or not does not preclude the decision-makers from making informal – but decisive – judgements (notwithstanding the FAR’s and the DFAR’s policies). However, enough, it really is not worth further discussion.
Check out the placement rates for EE at both. I haven’t looked at the UC placement rates, but I was very disappointed to learn after my DS enrolled at OSU that their placement rates are low across all the engineering majors.
Also, I recall OSU mentioning on the tour that they have co-ops going unfilled. That’s because, at least in my son’s program, they only offer sequenced courses during certain semesters. So, you can only co-op if you are willing to add a full year for every co-op.
On the flip side, we had our worst college visit ever at UC. The head of the program my son was interested in presented it, and he was so negative I almost couldn’t stop myself from laughing. He talked about how half the students flunk out and they don’t know “what’s wrong with them”, commented that the UC President at the time cared much more about the facilities than the academics, and advised the prospective students that they would get mugged if they ventured off campus at night.
So, between the ratings and the UC experience, OSU seemed the clear choice. Only later when DS struggled to find an internship did I research the placement rates. DS has been very happy at OSU…I just hope he ends up in the minority who get a job after all this.
I haven’t researched UC, but my guess is their placement rates are much higher as a result of the co-op program. If you confirm that’s the case and your goal is to get a job, then UC would be the better choice despite the rankings. (I have no idea why placement rates aren’t the most important factor considered in ratings!)
Where did you find the information on the EE placements at Ohio State. I would like to review that for my son who is an EE major.