<p>I am applying to US Grad Schools for Electrical Engineering. I am equally fine with PhD Program or Terminal MS. From what I heard from my undergrad profs, they say that it is easier to get into MS program (even more so for MS Eng where usually you don't even have to write a thesis, just take courses...and if the school thinks it doesn't even have to provide financial aid, then they will take you most likely). However, I looked at Princeton University's admittance stats for the past five years, and it seems that PhD admittance rate is above 10% while the MS programs are constantly in the single digits. Is MS/MSE really easier to get in than PhD? In some cases when you apply to PhD for some schools, in the application there is an option saying if they don't take you for PhD then would you like to go for the MS program? Does that give you a very good chance at getting admitted to either PhD/MS?</p>
<p>Yes, it is easier to be admitted to a MEng program than a Ph.D. because schools expect you to self-fund. The admission rates depend on the number of applicants though and so simply looking the percentages is not helpful since there are likely to be many more applicants for the MEng than the Ph.D.</p>
<p>In my department, physics, we do admit students to the M.S. if we cannot provide them funding as Ph.D. students but they are qualified to be admitted. This is not always the case in engineering or at other universities.</p>