Texas A&M or UMD for Computer Engineering

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

I am a NJ Resident who is wondering what the better choice would be, neglecting price.

2

Texas A&M uses a first year general pre-engineering program, after which you apply into a competitive admission process to enter your major (though a 3.5 college GPA automatically admits you to your first choice major). However, it appears that most engineering majors are not that competitive.
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/advisors-procedures/entry-to-a-major.html
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/advisors-procedures/entry-to-a-major/resources/analysis-spring-2017-admission-cycle.html

Maryland does not seem to say on its web pages about whether it is difficult or competitive to declare an engineering major ( https://eng.umd.edu/advising-faqs ), so you may have to ask directly whether that is a concern.

Why not Rutgers?

3

Rutgers doesn’t offer a dedicated BS in computer engineering. They have a computer engineering curriculum that falls under electrical engineering (I think).

4

Why neglect price? Even if one is marginally better, if we are assessing the soundness of your investment, the opportunity cost of the cost differential should be considered.

5

Rutgers offered me no aid, so it would be about 30k to go thsre. These two seem to be in the early 40s , so if either has a potential benefit that’s worth the extra years worth of tuition, Id rather go there.

6

Rutgers offered me no aid, so it would be about 30k to go thsre. These two seem to be in the early 40s , so if either has a potential benefit that’s worth the extra years worth of tuition, Id rather go there.

7

Another consideration might be what it takes to establish residency in the state after your first year and how this might impact cost. I have heard but have no first hand experience that establishing residency in Texas is not difficult.

8

Texas A&M is a solid computer engineering program. So is UMD. If cost isn’t really an option, it just comes down to preference. I know Texas A&M was founded as a military college and it leans on the conservative side. UMD, I’m not sure about.