I am a student in Southern California and was accepted to both Purdue and Berkeley. Berkeley is in state and I got a about 10k from Purdue so they cost basically the same amount (+/- 3k).
My original plan was to major in Aero/Astro Eng and then enter the aerospace industry, but Berkeley does not have a definitive Aerospace program, so I applied for Nuclear Engineering there. I am not 100% (maybe about 70%) sure that I desire a future in aerospace, so that is why I am not immediately discounting Berkeley.
Purdue Pro’s:
- Out of state (I would like to experience a different culture in college)
- Has respectable Aero/Astro program
- Has the 1st year engineering program (so I don’t have to decide on a major until end of freshman year)
- I was admitted to Honors College, and I think I would likely have a higher chance of standing out academically at Purdue
Berkeley Pro’s:
- Closer to a big city (job opportunities are better?)
- Better weather
- More prestigious overall
- My girlfriend’s going there
I’d appreciate any comments; it’s a very difficult decision for me.
What are your parents saying? They’d have the add’l cost of air-travel for Purdue.
Does your health insurance work in Indiana? Many find out that theirs does not once they cross state lines unless a big emergency. Regular sick visits aren’t covered.
Just looking at your lists, your Purdue pros are frankly a lot stronger. Your two strongest Berkeley pros are arguable: the proximity to SF and Silicon Valley isn’t really going to help with Aero/Astro Engineering jobs, and prestige in the engineering field, especially between these two schools, is a non-issue.
Both are great opportunities. Will you have the chance to visit both schools?
@mom2collegekids My parents actually prefer Purdue b/c they want me to go OOS. But they do not, even remotely, want their preference to influence my decision.
And also that is a fantastic question that I will have to talk to my parents about. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!
Other than the costs for your, these 2 schools are very very different in many aspects. Have you visited Purdue? Purdue has it own airport on campus and that may be a plus for your intended major. If you take out the airport, the campus is not very big and is in the middle of corn fields. After you visited the campuses, your revised pros/cons list may make the decision a lot easier.
@Otterma I visited Purdue this past week, and although I could see myself there, it wasn’t absolutely mind-blowing or anything. I will be visiting Berkeley in a few weeks, so that will also be a major contributing factor to my decision.
Good point, probably would make a difference for EECS or related fields. Do you know any other fields may be better, job-wise, for the Berkeley region than the Purdue region? Like would it be easier to find jobs/internships/co-ops for certain majors in either of the regions?
I know Berkeley’s name is known around the world at this point, but is Purdue’s? I get the feeling that Purdue is a more regionally-known school, but I may be horribly mistaken.
@billcsho Like I said to Otterma, I visited Purdue and it was nothing special, although I wouldn’t mind going there. You’re right when you say it’s in the middle of the corn fields. Big difference from SoCal!!
I am excited to visit Cal in a few weeks, and I’m sure that will affect my decision. Thanks for the input!
Cal is better known to the public, but in engineering both are well known. If you live in Asia Cal will be better. Anywhere else not much of a difference.
For sure Cal has a much better location. You may be able to see the ocean from your dorm. Purdue does have great Co-op opportunities though. When you visited Purdue, didn’t you go to the engineering info session? They should have mentioned that. Another thing special for Purdue is they tend to admit more freshmen and then weed them out in freshmen year. The percent of sophomore return students is low because of that.
These two schools have very different mix of students. Purdue is majority white. Cal has 23% white population. Both are good schools. Cal is more prestigious and more challenging academically. Also, at Cal you will most likely end up in a triple or a quad as a freshman. That is not the case at Purdue.
@TooOld4School I plan on staying in the states, so it’s good to hear that they’re both well known here.
@billcsho Beachfront dorm room… count me in! But yes, during my visit to Purdue they ingrained in me the fact that most, if not all, engineering students are able to find internships/co-ops if they choose to pursue these opportunities. And yes, I am DEFINITELY aware of the weed-out system in place there. A little scared, but I think and hope (fingers crossed) that I can get through freshman year. Another reason why I am considering Cal.
@gmfreedom Coming from a high school in which Asians make up 55% of the student body and White Americans 33%, I would love to experience something different like Purdue. The racial and cultural difference appeals to me very much. I wouldn’t mind sharing a room with more people; I guess I am ambivalent about that. Thanks for the input!
No no no…that’s UC Santa Barbara! UC Berkeley is a mile inland from the bay and a good hour+ drive to the nearest decent beach. 
The views can be nice though.
Do you prefer four seasons or the California season? (since environment is a topic of discussion; I would never lead with that…)
Sorry idek read lol but it actually sounds like Purdue might be a better choice bc u can standout more which is very important and they gave a top 10 engineering program
I would much rather live in California than Lafayette, but that may not be where you would want to stay. California has an active aerospace industry. The aerospace industry needs more than just aerospace engineers. They need EECS, ME, and materials majors.
You may be able to see the beach from a Berkeley dorm room, but it is not on the beach. UCSB would have the easiest beach access.
For Purdue, find out how high the GPA thresholds are to get into any of your possible engineering majors after taking the first year engineering courses.
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ENE/Academics/FirstYear/T2M
For Berkeley, if you may want to change your major to something other than nuclear engineering, find out how difficult (GPA etc.) your other possible majors will be to get into.
http://engineering.berkeley.edu/academics/majors-minors/change-major
@Otterma @ucbalumnus Darn, should’ve applied to UCSB!! 
@prezbucky I’d be totally open to try something new; I’ve never actually experienced 4 seasons in my life. SoCal born and raised!
@areid411 That’s what I’m thinking; the “standing out” part is what is most attractive for me with Purdue. But Berkeley is Berkeley, and I get the feeling that I’m going to have to decide whether I want to be average at an excellent school or (maybe) oustanding at a good school. Perhaps I am mistaken about using the terms “good” and “excellent,” but at least in my life, that has been the attitude I have seen others have towards these two schools.
@roethlisburger I would be excited to live in either area. Yes, I am thinking I may want to do a joint nuclear-mechanical engineering major if I go to Cal, but I have to check on the logistics of making that happen.
@ucbalumnus Thanks for the advice, I’ll check it out for sure. Have you (or anyone you know) had experience with changing majors within the College of Engineering at Berkeley? Is it difficult? easy? heavily dependent on gpa?
I would be wary of splitting hairs on school quality. While UCB may be more prestigious overall, Purdue has a strong engineering program. Further, engineering is going to be much less prestige focused than some other fields such as management consulting or private equity.
I’m not sure why you settled on nuclear engineering if you really want an aerospace job. While there is some research into spacecraft nuclear propulsion, that’s a very small niche in an already specialized industry.