<p>I have read lots of posts on this topic but still didn't get a clear answer, the bottom line is, what is the main point of education? Some of us might actually enjoy it but definitely rather spent time laying on the beach, but we want to get a good start in life and good financially stable job, without going inverview after interview after interviews. So it doesn't matter if dorm stinks or if corns are around or if nightclubs walking distance. After all we are there for determined time, with determined focus to secure a well paying job right after graduation. So lets consider that. I woud appreciate responses and recommendations on which school is better UIC or UIUC for Civil or Industrial Engineering? I don't care how campus looks neither where i have to live, but how good of a job financially I can get and how fast after any of these, specially nowadays. Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>UIUC kills UIC in engineering by a mile.</p>
<p>UIUC kills UIC, period.</p>
<p>Two already in favor of UIUC, I appreciate the response, but maybe it’s biased because I posted my thread under UIUC tag? If it would be under UIC probably more would lean towards that one.</p>
<p>it doesn’t really matter where you post your thread. UIUC engineering is one of the best schools in the country for engineering. if i were you, I would definitely go there. no doubt about it.</p>
<p>It’s not biased. UIC is kinda of no-namer when it comes nationally; people are probably going to think you’re talking about UIUC if you were to say the words “University of Illinois” in other states when you say UIC.</p>
<p>Plus, when it comes to engineering, UIUC is world-renown, especially in Civil, Electrical and Computer, and Physics.</p>
<p>It’s interesting that in other similar post I read, people were fifty-fifty for both of them, saying UIC came a long way and is indeed a great school too. But they were not talking about ENGINEERING, just in general, so if to consider engineering field maybe UIUC makes a big difference, does’t it?</p>
<p>It makes a difference. Just like University of Wisconsin-Madison beats all other University of wisconsins by a mile… There UW-Stout; UW-LaCrosse, etc. They can’t compare to the original. </p>
<p>Same with UIUC and UIC. And IMO this difference extends to most disciplines, with the exception of some of the graduate programs in the health fields (UIUC doesn’t have a PT program or a medical school for example…both those programs are at UIC)</p>
<p>In Engineering, It’s hands down superior.</p>
<p>The biggest differences between UIUC and UIC in engineering is that UIUC has plenty of well known, renowned faculty in their fields, UIC doesn’t. Each engineering department at UIUC has world class laboratories and research that goes on constantly, UIC doesn’t. UIUC has a national and even international recruiting footprint; companies come from all over to recruit UIUC grads. The same isn’t true or UIC. In other words, it isn’t even a fair competition.</p>
<p>I really have nothing against UIC and it certainly can give people a good education. However, UIUC is the flagship state school with the world-renowned engineering department. For engineering, it shouldn’t be a question. If you were majoring in something like history, I would say just do whatever the heck you want.</p>
<p>I find reading this thread incredibly interesting and biased. Having attended UIC’s college of Engineering, I will readily admit that we do not have the same international prestige that UIUC has. However, we have some other aspects that might make UIC the right choice for some students. In regards to civil/industrial engineering, if you want to study earthquakes and their influence on structures - go to UIUC. If you are interested in Civil Engineering (Transportation), UIC might be a better option because of our strong ties to the city and highway department. The department of civil engineering does not offer courses during the summer because after your sophomore year, its expected that you will be working at an internship over the summer. Our industrial engineering program is also very good. For the past 5+ years, every single IE graduate has had at least one engineering job offer by the time they graduate (this is very rare for a school). If you have more questions, feel free to contact me and I will put you in touch with the right people at UIC.</p>
<p>For being such a young university, UIC is doing a great job and it is actually improving so much. I think it will be no surprise that UIC will be the second flagship institution in Illinois. I do agree that UIUC is a great institution, but give me a break and don’t tell me “it kills UIC by a mile” 
Let’s not forget that ranking also depends a lot on alumni’s contributions, schools’s age and sports. What currently hurts UIC is having many commuters, which is changing because the school is adding more dorms. UIC has a noticeable number of ambitious immigrants who usually belong to poorer families than those at UIUC and, thus, can’t make the same donations that UIUC receives. Plus, UIC gets less funding. Also, I personally think the state of IL would be served better with a second flagship school (more high school students would stay in IL for their undergrad or grad career rather than going out of state). And considering the progress UIC has made, it’s a matter of time for UIC to be up there with the giants of IL.</p>
<p>The ranking/prestige factor for UIUC engineering puts a UIUC student in a better position than a UIC student for coops, internships, and for employment upon graduation and acceptance to grad school. However, that is a matter of degree and with engineering grads still in demand despite the existing economy, UIC students also have many good opportunties available to them. As to courses you will take and what you will learn, that is very similar because that follows from having ABET accreditation and from the fact that the two universities are part of the same university system and there is coordination and communication between the two engineering departments. </p>
<p>UIUC has a funding and research advantage because it has more relationships with large companies and large donors nation and world wide, although UIC has the larger advantage for medical research since UIC has the state’s flagship med school.</p>
<p>UIUC has the advantage of being a traditonal large university in a small city where the college atmosphere is everything you want and need. UIC still has a very large percentage of commuter students but it is also now more like a regular 4 year college. It has the advantage of being in Chicago, one of the best large cities that exist although at the same time that can be a financial disadvantage if you intend to live off campus because the rental you are going to pay is going to be quite a bit more than what you would pay in Champaign or Urbana. </p>
<p>And UIC has one great disadvantge. You may be sucked into becoming a Cubs fan for life with the result that you will suffer deep depression every year during baseball season.</p>
<p>While I agree with Drusba in what he said above, I have to take slight issue with off-campus rental costs. For a small town, the locals sure know how to gouge the students and their families when it comes to rentals. My son is off campus this year, and the house that he and some friends are renting is just south of $4,000/month. The students are big business down there, and the locals don’t mind charging Chicago-area prices, and then some.</p>
<p>
Random fact, the location of the stadium where the Cubs last won the World Series is on the UIC west campus. It is the current site of the College of Medicine. They put up a sign now. Also, the term out of left field comes from there. In left field, there was an asylum. It is currently the Neuropsych building.
The cost of rentals can vary, but it will generally be more expensive the Urbana/Champaign.</p>
<p>OT,</p>
<p>But at least if you go to a Cubs’ game at Wrigley you will be amongst thousands, whereas at the Cell you might be the solitary White Sox fan.</p>
This posting is already 3 years old but maybe you guys can still help me out. My son is going to college next year and wants to take bioengineering and looks like the best bet for me is UIC. I’ll be instate tuition and he mostly wants to lean towards research on the bio part, (cell, tissue nano technology and the likes). I doubt if he will get accepted at UICI, he maybe 2-3 points off on his act (he has 30 composite, 34 in science, 32 in math). I just wonder why UIC has lower standards than UICI and he doesn’t want to go to UIC because of that.
But I think UIC has more research opportunities specially on the medical (biology) field because they have access to the hospital etc. If he doesn’t get accepted at UICI I have to show him why UIC is the best alternative or else I’ll be faced with out of state tuition of University of Iowa, Purdue, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Marquette, Ohio State University and the likes.
I told my son he can finish his undergraduate at UIC and do his masters at whatever school he wants. Any help would be highly appreciated.
You need to talk with your son about what you can and cannot afford. You need to put your foot down and say you can only afford so much. When I applied for college, I knew my parents weren’t going to pay more than the equivalent of in-state tuition.
UIC has lower averages because, in general, the top engineering students in Illinois go to Urbana. UIC’s averages for engineering are still very good.