<p>I am an international student who has been accepted to Purdue First year engineering and UIUC for chemical engineering. I know that both of them are located in the midwest, and UIUC is ranked higher than Purdue for engineering. UIUC is also slightly more expensive for me. I have heard that since engineering a difficult major, Purdue encourages a lot of working in groups and it is also easy to get help if you are willing to seek it, also they have setup learning communities for freshman to settle to college life.
Also I am not sure of which engineering speciality (chemical or mechanical) I will pursue, and Purdue's First year engineering program seems attractive for that reason. But Illinois' top ranking in engineering keeps bringing me back it as I plan to work in the states after graduation.</p>
<p>If anyone has any opinions or advice to offer regarding this, it will be helpful.</p>
<p>I'm not familiar with UIUC's engineering program, but being from Indiana, I know a lot about Purdue engineering. 5 of my friends are going to be in Purdue Engineering next year. If money is an issue, I know that Purdue offers a co-op program where you graduate in 5 years, but the money you earn while working for those 2 semesters covers all college costs, so you graduate without any debt. Also, you have work experience, making it easier to get a job. UIUC may offer a similar program, so I would look into that. Regardless, if you graduate from either school you will be able to have a successful career in engineering in the United States.</p>
<p>i had the same issues with picking between purdue and uiuc. after visiting both campuses, i chose purdue. Although uiuc does have the higher ranked engineering program, purdue seems to fit a lot better. so a good fit outweighed ranking in my decision. i think that's what most people would suggest, rank isn't everything. if purdue fits your needs better, i'd go with purdue.</p>