I was hoping to get some feedback on Purdue vs UIUC for aerospace engineering. I know they are number 4 & 5 respectively on US News. I also know that Purdue is FYE and UIUC is direct admit to aerospace. Any thoughts about the two programs? How competitive is aerospace at Purdue? Career prospects and/or masters degree program options graduating from each program?
Go to the one you prefer, feel better at. My son had a clear preference for one after visiting both.
Is cost an issue? Size of program, etc.
Do you prefer one campus over another ?
Thatās where you should go.
Ps check housing. Purdue has overenrolled in past. Not sure about Illinois.
You need to decide. Not us.
Good luck.
Of course, thank you.
Just looking for some feedback from those that have attended one program or the other, as this is helpful to the decision making process. Just wanted to know othersā experiences (good/bad) with internships, classes, process of TTM at Purdue, etc.
Did summer programs at both campuses. Really liked both equally. Cost is better at UIUC.
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@momofboiler1 has great posts throughout CC on Purdue if you can find. Or if sheās reading. Boiler up 
Honestly read little about UIUC but you can search.
I think both programs will be equally great !!
Thank you so much!!!
Transition to major is pretty straight forward but Aero is one of the more competitive majors so you will need a 3.2 engineering index to be guaranteed your major. That said, thatās a very doable GPA.
Purdue has one of the best career centers in the country and vies with Georgia Tech for bringing the most companies to campus. Internships and co-ops are the fabric of life at Purdue.
My D really enjoyed the FYE program, especially engineering design.
If you really donāt have a preference, look at the details for the 4 year plan of study for your major; what kind of specific research is happening on the campuses; industry partnerships; and lab facilities.
You really canāt go wrong with either option. Congrats on wonderful acceptances!
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Thank you so much for the detailed information. That is very helpful indeed!
Is cost a factor in the two?
As you note, the programs are both of very high quality. Ideally, you visit both for at least a full day, if not more, and get a feel for which best fits you.
My daughter graduated MechE in May from Purdue and is quite happy with her school years and resulting employment. Her visit to campus, after being accepted at 7 schools, made it an easy choice for her.
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Thank you for the feedback. My son was able to do summer programs at both. Enjoyed both a great deal. I think he was a bit more taken with Purdue, but he had a great experience at Illinois as well. I think the one hesitation with Purdue is the no direct admit to major. He knows for sure he wants aerospace and is just a little worried about transitioning to the major at Purdue. Right now itās a toss up.
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Lower cost with direct admission (no secondary admission) seem to both favor UIUC, unless it is likely you will change to another engineering major (some of which are quite difficult to change into).
At Purdue, generally FYE students with 3.2 college GPA get into the major of their choice; those with lower GPA compete for space in their majors. Purdue does not publicly show which majors are more or less competitive, so you may have to ask directly to see if they will tell you.
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Many study mechanical to hedge themselves. It works very well for aerospace careers. My son is in automotive but initially thought aerospace bit numerous people told him to do mechanical. And many internships he applied for sought either.
Not trying to change your mind on major but if Purdue excites more, it could be a fallback if somehow the GPA doesnāt make it to get into aero. In other words, having mechanical keeps you very much in the game for aerospace.
However a low GPA can hurt. My son tells me most internships require a 3.0.
Iām sure your student will be fine wherever they end up.
Good luck either way
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Hereās the link for Purdue First Year Engineering Impact report for 2020. I donāt believe theyāve released the 2021 report yet.
There is a great graph specific to the transition to major program that shows the competitiveness of the majors along with where students land if they need or choose to go to a secondary major.
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Which graph? I see a graph that shows how students changed major from entry to the actual major they ended up in, but that by itself does not indicate whether they changed major out of their own interest, or because they were not able to get into their first intended major, nor does it indicate how competitive each major is.
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I am not sure how much it affects what happens in the classroom, but after seeing both campuses my take is that Purdue is what UIUC would like to be if it were not starved for cash and under-resourced. As an UIUC alum it pains me to say that the place just looks run down compared to Purdue. For this reason my son did not even apply to UIUC.
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The programs that are at capacity shift year to year. Currently, Purdue says: āmajors with capacity limitations are currently AAE, BME, MDE, and MEā. (Interestingly ECE is not listed here but it has in years past). This is from their Transition to Major page. Transition to Major - School of Engineering Education - Purdue University
I think the graph reflects the capacity limitations. My Dās impression is that students know when they are going to struggle meeting the GPA cut offs for capacity limited majors and will shift accordingly.
Certainly though there are students that will make a switch after working through the engineering design courses and finding they are better suited/interested in another major. (Which is the whole point of FYE.)
Purdue is generally very transparent with data so if a family was interested in parsing things out more, all they need to do is reach out to the CoE and ask.
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Iāve shared that b4, that UIUC is āuglyā for lack of a better word. My son said so after visiting both Purdue and UIUC. Just had a bad look, bad energy. Took 15 mins on the tour to take UIUC off the list.
But I got a lot of pushback for saying so.
Thanks for confirming.
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Thank you all for the feedback thus far, especially about resources, TTM process, and internships. We do still have a few more decisions to come in, but UMich so far is a postponement, so not something to count on. The few others are reaches.
He really did love Purdue. He was lucky to be able to spend a week in summer at each of the schools for summer programs. The first was IL, which he really did like. Then he went to Purdue and loved it there as well. I think the fountain runs and being baptized in the name of John Purdue really sold him! Again though, I think he is trying to be logical and economical about the choice.
Any thoughts about the grading at Purdue. I know the internet is full of horror stories out there, but my son heard the grading there was insanely hard (more so than at other comparable schools) Any truth?
I ask mainly bc he has said he says he really wants to pursue his masterās degree as well, possibly a dual program, but also possible at another institution. I know if he goes somewhere else for his Masterās, GPA is a huge factor. (I know it is for jobs too). Did anyone here have kiddos that did a dual program or are going somewhere else for a masterās degree?
And one more thing. I think heās weighing that is he goes to IL we can help him with 6 years of higher education. Purdue we can do 4, although weād certainly try to stretch that if he did a 5 year dual program. Anyways, lots to consider.
While there is no grade inflation at Purdue, my D has found the grading fair. Honestly, I think engineering is difficult everywhere and I donāt Purdue grading is any harder than it would be at UIUC or Michigan, etcā¦
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Thank you. I edited my previous post to include more information. Your information has been so helpful. I really appreciate it.
I private messaged you.
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