<p>Which would be better for aerospace engineering, UC's (UCLA,UCB,UCSD) or Purdue? They have about the same tuition when comparing UC instate vs Purdue oos, so what would you choose?</p>
<p>Well, as someone who lived in Berkeley for many years, but grew up near Purdue, I can say the campuses have a very different feel. I have only heard excellent things about aerospace from Purdue, and has had many alums go to work with NASA. The feel of the campus is very different. While the atmosphere can be stressful at both schools for engineering, but Purdue feels like a Big 10 school with football games, heavy fraternity parties, not great city life. You are surrounded by cornfields wehn you leave the area, though Indianapolis is not that far away, and Chicago is a weekend roadtrip. Lots of kids from the Midwest attend, so some would complain about lack of diversity.
UC Berkeley has a much more diverse student body and more things to do in the immediate area. There is always something cheap and fun to do in SF Bay area. Public transit is much better and air travel is easier.
Financially, Indiana is in better financial shape, but the colleges in state have been known to raise OOS tuition before in-state, as seen with the decrease in OOS guaranteed funding at IU. If you have never lives in the “middle of nowhere” it woud be a great experience.</p>
<p>I’d definitely pick Berkeley over Purdue.</p>
<p>Berkeley doesn’t have an aerospace engineering program.</p>
<p>With defense budget cuts and upcoming layoffs in the aerospace industry, I would get an undergrad degree in a more versatile, general field such as mechanical or electrical. Just my $0.02.</p>
<p>It doesn’t have an aerospace program, but I think one can do mechanical with aero focus.</p>
<p>As for the industry, I don’t think it will be too bad; private companies will start to take over.</p>
<p>^ Private companies are contracted by the Defense Department. The Defense Department is projecting HUGE budget cuts that will impact the entire aerospace industry as the defense department is its biggest client.</p>
<p>[Bill</a> cuts billions from 2012 Defense budget - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/bill-cuts-billions-from-2012-defense-budget/2011/06/17/AGJAFYZH_story.html]Bill”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/bill-cuts-billions-from-2012-defense-budget/2011/06/17/AGJAFYZH_story.html)</p>
<p>With federal budget deficits, cuts will likely be had in the Defense Department.</p>
<p>NASA just shut down the Space Shuttle program and is letting go thousands of workers…many likely aerospace engineers.
Lockheed Martin has asked for voluntary layoffs of 6500 workers as it looks to shed costs given the new climate. </p>
<p>IMO, it’s not a great time for aerospace engineers.</p>
<p>My son is an aerospace engineering major at University of Colorado at Boulder. He is from California and only applied to UC Davis and UCLA, since he wanted to attend a school with a football team. He did not apply to Purdue even though he knew it has a good program as he did not want to be in the Midwest. He was admitted to UCLA and Davis, but chose not to attend either. We attended the School of Engineering Open House at UCLA and were not at all impressed with the aerospace engineering department there. Just our viewpoint, but aerospace is included with mechanical engineering and it is a very small department, like only 60 students per year. All of us felt like it was an engineering department the school just did not emphasize or care about. He chose Colorado since at that school, the aerospace engineering program is like the best major on campus. It gets tons of funding from NASA and has a lot of opportunities for internships. And yes, even though NASA’s budget is being cut, there are a lot of entreprenurial companies that are sprouting up, like Space X, that are hiring. It is the wave of the future in aerospace…Plus, many of those aerospace engineers will be retiring soon and there will be a lot of openings in the future…</p>
<p>MIZZBEE: Have you really walked through the engineering mall at Purdue lately? As a white male, I am a minority.</p>
<p>UC’s (UCLA,UCB,UCSD) or Purdue? **They have about the same tuition **when comparing UC instate vs Purdue oos,</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>**UCLA…In-state tuition and fees: $12,686
Purdue… Out-of-state tuition and fees: $27,646 </p>
<p>How are they almost the same? There’s a $15k per year difference??**</p>