<p>which one to choose?
which grads will have better job prospects?</p>
<p>i know uiuc is ranked much higher in the engineering depts. however, Rice is a great school!</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>People sometimes get caught up with the overall USNWR rankings, but if you're an engineer, and engineers are going to hire you, you go to the better engineering school, which is UIUC.</p>
<p>The case where you instead go to the better ranked school is when you want to get hired by non-engineers (e.g. law school or medical school).</p>
<p>I don't think going to Rice would mean becoming a non-engineer. I'm sure UIUC is a higher ranked engineering school, but Rice isn't significantly behind. I think you should consider other factors, like atmosphere and cost. It really depends on where you feel more comfortable at.</p>
<p>i don't think your employment prospects would be reduced by going to Rice. i would personally choose Rice since it is overall a better school (imo) with much better students. the decision does depend significantly on which atmosphere you're going for, and what your specific future plans are, but i would strongly tend to Rice, especially when you compare student happiness at both places.</p>
<p>i would also say that departmental rankings matter much more for graduate school, whereas other factors are much more important for undergrad (as long as the school is at least decently ranked).</p>
<p>
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I don't think going to Rice would mean becoming a non-engineer.
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</p>
<p>No, that's not what I meant. In the engineering community, UIUC is considered a substantially better school than Rice. So, if you want to work in the engineering community, UIUC would be a better choice.</p>
<p>In non-engineering communities, the smaller private schools seem to hold more esteem. So in that situation, being from Rice would probably serve you better. </p>
<p>Going to Rice doesn't mean that you can't work in engineering, and going to UIUC doesn't mean that you can't go to law school. I'm just answering the question of which would have better job prospects. All else being equal, you'll get as good or a better engineering job from UIUC and as good or a better law school placement from Rice.</p>
<p>Also, I think this is a good question for aibarr (sp?). From what I've read in this forum, she went to Rice for undergrad and UIUC for grad (not 100% sure on this). She'll probably provide a better perspective.</p>
<p>just for a reference:</p>
<p>(rankings-wise)
Rice's undergrad. comp. eng. program was one of the only two programs that went in the top 20 USNWR 2009 specific engineering majors (ranked 15th. UIUC 5th). the other one was biomedical engineering.</p>
<p>it's really great to hear some insights especially from UIUC or Rice students.
Btw thanks guys for the replies.</p>
<p>though i'm still confused lol.</p>
<p>^ Do you think you have a good shot at getting accepted into Rice?</p>
<p>Big difference b/t the schools. One huge school in the middle of corn fields the other on the small side a few miles from downtown Houston. The air quality should be better in Illinois if you can handle the winter! If you like UIUC then consider looking at other Big 10 schools like Northwestern, Univ. of Minn., Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin. All have very good engineering programs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In the engineering community, UIUC is considered a substantially better school than Rice
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</p>
<p>You would end up with a ridiculously good background going to Rice, and it's very well-respected. Very recent former Rice PhD students have been picked up to become professors at Michigan, for example. Rice ECE students are held in very high esteem. It's just a much smaller program.</p>
<p>Going to Rice got me into Illinois. UIUC is not substantially better in any sense of the word. It's very debatable as to which one is better... UIUC is just ranked higher, and rankings are very debatable.</p>
<p>Interesting question. My son has to choose between some excellent schools like Rice and some excellent state schools like Michigan, Purdue and Texas A&M. </p>
<p>The USNWR rankings for engineering are based solely on a peer assessment. I believe it favors the big state schools as they produce more engineers. The Deans of Engineering see more outstanding students from the engineering factories, so their opinions reflect that. I would not dismiss the overall rankings of the schools since there is a fair amount of non-technical learning that has to happen. Also, I would want to have a diverse group of friends to spend 4 years with, not just techies.</p>
<p>The big schools however, probably have more engineering resources and majors. In-state options are substantially cheaper. If you want to study something less popular like nuclear, petroleum, or materials, you can probably only do this in a large school.</p>
<p>The only answers I have is to visit as many options as you can and ask questions. I believe it the best analogy to this process is buying a house. Many houses meet the specification, but you just feel more comfortable in certain places.</p>
<p>I cannot speak for certain about Rice, but in general, larger schools like UIUC have larger research expenditures, and so if you plan to try and do any research while an undergrad, you may want to consider the larger schools. I know in my undergrad here at UIUC, it wasn't that difficult to find a professor that I could work with.</p>
<p>In my opinion, Rice is a better school if you want undergraduate research+a happy life. For one, Rice is a smaller school. You’ll get way more opportunities. Another thing to look at is the endowment.
Rice has an endowment of about $4.5 billion while UIUC has under a billion.</p>
<p>Neither. Why not go to UT if u want to be in texas, it is leagues ahead of rice?</p>
<p>I just want to focus on few points; USNEWS’ ranking is not everything, but has been something. I do not want to pick up a point to take on many other points. </p>
<p>I was from EE industry, UIUC always has an excellent name which has been always only behind the top one or two schools at the coasts. </p>
<p>There are 27 Nobel Price Winners are associated with UIUC!!!
ECE’s Pro. Bardeen who won N-Price twice in Physics in 1956 and did again in year 2000. Two times Nobel Price Winner is at this ECE. Not even mention the National Super Computer Lab at UIUC and some other will known Labs. Also, do you know who invented IC and Transitor as well as LED and etc.? All are associated UIUC’s ECE.</p>
<p>To be honest, not few ECEs including the top one can comptete against this ECE.</p>
<p>However, we do not just go to the best possible departmet or school because of its ranking or reputation…, We are looking for an ECE which fits our kids.</p>
<p>My son got in both UIUC, CMU and Umich’s ECE, and do not know which one to to even we visited thses 3 schools.</p>
<p>In line with my son’s situations, UIUC “may” provide the most well training in ECE. CMU “may” focus too much on CS. UM may provide the most possible “well-rounded” training and life style compared the other two.</p>
<p>Then, we are inclined to go to UM, but one problem comes…</p>
<p>During the visit to the Eng. College of UM, we were very impressed about their ECE, the campus and Ann Arbor, etc. But more than 90% of students encountered at the college told us that UIUC’s ECE is kind of better…I meant more than 10 students from under to Ph.D. students. That has bothered us very much, and we still do not know which one to go.</p>