<p>UIUC is better for CS/Computer Engineering, not sure about other major. UIUC is slightly cheaper than UCLA.</p>
<p>You can’t really make a bad decision, let’s get that straight first of all. Now to your points I think UIUC has the edge academically SLIGHTLY given your specific topic. Overall, UCLA is the better University. In terms of social life, quality of life and diversity UCLA wins easily. It is 4 hours from the beach, you are in one of the greatest cities on the planet and the weather is great. Also, no matter where you are from, I promise you can find people of your own background and great food you are used to in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Probably meant 4 miles, though on a straight shot, more like 5. If one travels on the streets, rather, than say, flying to the beach, the winding Sunset Boulevard, and south at some point, say, Santa Monica would be a winding 8 miles or so. Farther south to Venice would be a bit more.</p>
<p>I did mean 4 MILES my bad.</p>
<p>I don;t think social life or quality life matters that much to me. I am more concerned about the quality of both universities. Which on would you choose?</p>
<p>UCLA is ranked higher overall, but in your field UIUC is slight better. Both are excellent choices and you may not think social life or quality of life matters; but when you get there you will realize that it does.</p>
<p>They’re both comparable. UIUC has the better program (albeit slightly,) so if that’s all you care about you should go there.</p>
<p>But US News ranks UCLA engineering so lowly. Why?</p>
<p>“But, I heard that for undergrad, the overall ranking of the university is more important than CS ranking.”</p>
<p>This is probably true in the humanities and social sciences. Not true in engineering/CS. Everyone who matters in CS knows that UIUC is an ultra-elite program, mentioned in the same breath with MIT and the like. UCLA isn’t. In this field, I think the academic gap is not slight. (Just as the lifestyle edge UCLA has over UIUC is not slight.)</p>
<p>If your top priority is academics and career opportunities, UIUC wins.</p>
<p>Here is a USNews graduate rankings for CS.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13360847-post4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13360847-post4.html</a></p>
<p>UCLA is #14 vs UIUC #5</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I disagree with Hanna.</p>
<p>UCLA doesn’t have the ranking of UIUC in engineering and CS, true, but UCLA is at least the equal wrt the stats/qualifications of students entering these majors, which leads to a high quality of graduates. This, along with CA being a hotbed for E-intensive industry helps UCLA grads in these majors place well, as well as into top grad programs.</p>
<p>One must also bear in mind that in other CS rankings such as ARWU & QS World, UCLA CS ranks much higher than UIUC.</p>