Purdue University vs UC Irvine

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello there,</p>

<p>I am an International Student and I finished my two years at a community college in California. Currently, I have been accepted to both Purdue and UCI and have difficulty in deciding which one to go to.</p>

<p>My major is Computer Science and I am hoping to specialize in Software Engineering. Since I have been in California for two years, I have been used to the weather so I have got that going for me but I won't really make that a huge factor in my decision.</p>

<p>My gut has been telling me to go to UCI because I have settled all of my documents, classes and I-20 with UCI whereas in Purdue, I haven't gotten to that point at all and their classes start earlier than UCI. </p>

<p>I will break it down into what I think the pros and cons of both universities are.</p>

<p>** Purdue: **</p>

<p>Pros: </p>

<ul>
<li>For me, there's the reputation, Purdue has a name in my country (well it's more recognizable than UCI so that's what matters). In other words, there's more prestige in Purdue than in UCI</li>
<li>Then, Purdue is highly ranked and it's known to be one of the top 10 engineering schools in the U.S. but then again it's not known for it's Computer Science program</li>
<li>Purdue has a lower student to faculty ratio and their class size is very small which I like because I really want to get to know my professors and I am just not a fan of huge classes</li>
<li>Purdue is more cheap than UCI in terms of tuition and living</li>
</ul>

<p>Cons:</p>

<ul>
<li>Purdue is far from any major tech companies whilst Irvine is close to Silicon Beach and is home to Blizzard Entertainment (not that it matters but it's nice to know that there is a tech company in the city)</li>
<li>Purdue is far away and I have relatives nearby California so it's going to be a hassle to come visit during the holidays</li>
<li>Purdue has a lower retention rate than UCI </li>
<li>Higher acceptance rate which makes me feel that Purdue is easier to get into but harder to get out of</li>
</ul>

<p>** UCI **</p>

<p>Pros:</p>

<ul>
<li>I feel that it's easier to establish a network here especially since I heard that a lot of UCI students do go out frequently with USC students and students from other universities.</li>
<li>The area itself is more nice and it's a familiar surrounding which might make it more relaxing there</li>
<li>Ranks high on Payscale for Computer Science (4th I believe, and this is one of my more credible sources)</li>
<li>I think there are more internship opportunities available here rather than in Purdue especially for my major.</li>
<li>It has its own department for Computer Science (Donald Bren School of Informatics and Computer Science)</li>
</ul>

<p>Cons:</p>

<ul>
<li>More expensive for tuition</li>
<li>Less prestige and is ranked lower than Purdue in most sources</li>
<li>Higher class size/ higher student to faculty ratio</li>
<li>Less International Students than Purdue</li>
</ul>

<p>Personally, internship is a huge deal for me and I really want to get some hands on experience since I haven't gotten a great one yet (or a great opporunity) yet as of late so I feel my chances of getting that would be much higher in Irvine than in Purdue.</p>

<p>Any responses, would be highly appreciated!</p>

<p>Thank you very much!!</p>

2

<p>Purdue is a great school and you will get a much better all around college experience.</p>

3

<p>If your goal is to work in the US, it won’t matter if your degree is from Irvine or Purdue. Both schools are good.</p>

4

<p>@simba9 Thank you for your feedback and yes I forgot to mention that I ultimately would like to work in the US after graduating.</p>

<p>@zobroward‌ Thank you for your feedback, do you mind me asking if that college experience is factored at all by the housing we choose?</p>

5

<p>I think living on campus (in a single… but on campus) is a must. it provides lot’s of benefits socially as well as convenience . some people do not agree it is just my opinion of course. </p>

6

<p>Personally, I’d stick with UCI because you are already settled there. Purdue CS isn’t so much better that it is worth uprooting yourself for (in fact, it may not be better), and being near Silicon Beach is an advantage.</p>

7

<p>The only thing that worries me about going to Purdue is the huge questionmark behind my housing status, I’m just scared I won’t get any!</p>

8

<p>I’d pick UCI for CS, your CC classes will transfer seamlessly and you have good name recognition and internship opportunities in CA. UCI is very good for CS. But I didn’t calculate the cost difference and know how much that is critical to you.</p>

<p>Things like acceptance rates don’t matter for your purposes. Strip out the unimportant stuff. Public schools are there to educate the public of their state.</p>

9

<p>Personally, I feel that there are more things that should worry you if you go to Purdue.</p>

10

<p>@PurpleTitan What are the things you think should worry him if he goes to Purdue?</p>

11

<p>@WAPacker: in his case, leaving behind a place where he has family and a network of friends for a part of the country that he isn’t familiar with. Also, I don’t know what country the OP is from, but if it’s a tropical country, Midwestern winters will be a shock.</p>

<p>I’m not saying the Purdue is worse than UCI for CS in general, but for the OP, if he plans to stay in the US, staying in SoCal makes the most sense. If he plans to go back, getting a degree from Purdue may make the most sense.</p>

12

<p>A few years ago I worked with an Indian guy who got his bachelors and masters at Purdue, and he thought it was the greatest place in the world. He moved to California for work, though.</p>

13

<p>Purdue is well known in Silicon Valley. I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed anybody from UCI but plenty of Purdue grads.
However, UCI CS is also good.</p>

14

<p>In a few years when student loans come due, affordability is going to feel like a much higher priority. Also, the UC I attended (albeit not UC Irvine) was really not the place to go if small class sizes are important to you. Lower-div CS classes at my UC are literally almost a thousand students apiece. </p>

15

<p>Thank you all for your inputs, </p>

<p>@DrGoogle‌: Wow, I would think UCI would be more well known. Thank you for that info</p>

<p>@PurpleTitan: My future goal is to definitely stay in the U.S. for some time period but I know that might be difficult considering I’m an International student, however, I would want some major connections if I do stay here and UCI does have an edge on that. </p>

<p>I found out that I would need to complete 96 credits to graduate within two years whilst the recommended is 15 per semester so that will ultimately delay my time at Purdue more. My realistic goal is to graduate from the university I transfer to within two years and I think I will be able to accomplish that at UC Irvine.</p>