<p>Right now I am facing the decision of attending UCLA in EE or UCB in EECS.
While Cal is obviously the higher ranked school, I find UCLA's atmosphere much more enjoyable.
If I did decide to attend UCLA, what would i lose over attending Berkeley, namely potential jobs, potential salaries, and grad school opportunities.</p>
<p>ive heard that youd start with a slightly less salary if you went to UCLA rather than UCB at the same job.
and it would be much easier to get into grad school with an EECS degree from UCB (it is regarded as the best of the best in engineering)</p>
<p>if i were you, UCB hands down. but im not and thats only my opinion.
i know its a hard decision to make. im still deciding too. the LA atmosphere just draws me away from UCB but then UCB is much better prestige wise and education wise…</p>
<p>I think your opportunities would be the same and I think few if any companies would pay a UCB grad a higher starting salary than an equivalent (major, GPA range) UCLA grad (or UCSD grad for that matter). I also think the same applies for grad school opportunities. </p>
<p>Wherever you go you’ll need to live there for the next 4 years or so, so that should be a consideration.</p>
<p>The difference in prestige between berkeley and ucla when applying to grad school doesnt make that big of a difference.</p>
<p>As a previous UCLA student and a current Cal student, I can definitely tell you that you will not get lesser salary if you went to LA over Cal. Employers would ask you more about your previous work experience (previous internships, jobs) and your dedication to ECs (community service) over which college you went to (especially when they are closely ranked together).</p>
<p>Especially between UCLA and Cal, grad schools won’t look you down because you attended UCLA over Cal. They both are world class universities and very prestigious.</p>
<p>Depends on where you live.<br>
Nor/Bay Cal, go to Berkeley.<br>
So Cal, go to UCLA. </p>
<p>If you’re out of state or live far from both colleges, go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Most engineers don’t go to grad school (or so I’m told by my several engineering-oriented friends). Because of that, I’d have to give the edge to Berkeley, though obviously you’d get a great education at both schools. I just think there’s a bit of a gap in the level of education between the top EE schools (Berkeley, MIT, etc.), and the next tier (UCLA, etc).</p>
<p>But I also feel like the campus fit should be the biggest factor, since whatever gap does exist is really very small.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>For Berkeley, you should definitely check this out. It shows the percentage of graduates who have a job, are attending grad school, or looking for a job. Plus it shows the average salaries for each Engineering major. </p>
<p>Site: [Career</a> Center - Internship Opportunities in Engineering](<a href=“http://career.berkeley.edu/EngineeringInt/Start.stm#major]Career”>http://career.berkeley.edu/EngineeringInt/Start.stm#major)
Scroll down to What Can I Do With a Major In…</p>
<p>@vc08, going to grad school or not depends a lot of your major. Generally speaking, the EE/CS people do not attend graduate school because they can easily find jobs with just a Bachelor’s degree. However, other majors like Materials science and Bioengineering pretty much expect you to advance to graduate school.</p>
<p>Sorry to hijack the thread but if i were going to bio/biochem, would la be a better pick of berkeley?</p>
<p>EECE LA vs. Mechanical Engineering @ Berkeley.
I’m thinking EECE will still get me jobs easier?</p>
<p>The difference between a few thousand dollars a year (if that is even true at all…can’t be proved) is not a high price to pay for a better enjoyment of one’s college experience.</p>
<p>Is there a difference in the collegiality of students at UCLA and UCB? I was north campus, so I have no clue how engineers at UCLA work with or compete with each other… I’ve read there is more competition at Cal, but I think that is for pre-med… don’t know.</p>
<p>Check that out. That has a big impact on your ability to enjoy (and stay in) the school.</p>
<p>You should also check out drop-out rates at both schools… engineering is a tough major at top schools.</p>
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<p>Don’t have exact statistics but a lot of engineers want to go to grad school, especially during the recession. A lot of engineers want to go into R&D or want to teach in the future.</p>
<p>
I’m going to agree and say there’s a gap in the level of education between the engineering programs at UCB and UCLA. Although UCLA may be prestigious as a school, UCLA engineering is not a prestigious program.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m glad I chose to come to UCLA because I also find the environment a lot more enjoyable. I’ve been able to have a social life and get involved with many student groups on campus. I’ve learned SO much outside of class by interacting with other students and professors…experience and knowledge that cannot be attained from classes. To me, that’s just as important (if not more) as the material you learn from class.</p>
<p>I agree with everything that’s been said here. I also think being in the right environment for four years of your life (especially during a time when many people grow & change immensely) is very important, and that’s why I chose UCLA. I liked the environment better.</p>
<p>However, I do think that Berkeley has a better engineering program. And prestige + your academic record does give you an edge in GETTING a job, if not necessarily getting paid better. Getting paid better is usually a product of having more work experience, regardless of your school or grades.</p>