UIUC vs Stony Brook

College Search & Selection
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Hello there! National college decision day is fast approaching, and unless I get off a waitlist somewhere, my two best options are either Stony Brook or UIUC for computer engineering. I was hoping that I could get some advice on where to go, since they both have some benefits and some drawbacks to each decision, and I can’t decide whether the benefits from one outweigh the drawbacks of the other. To preface this, my parents are willing to contribute 20k a year to either school. As of right now, I do want to do grad school, so that is also a factor, however, I have heard that certain grad school programs are free if you get in, maybe someone can fact check me on that. I can also do a 5-year BS-MS program, I believe that both schools have that.

UIUC: If money was not an issue then I would choose to go here 100%. They are ranked 4th for computer engineering, pretty much above almost all the T20’s (minus Stanford and MIT). I also think the campus is beautiful, and the opportunities that I can get at UIUC are amazing. All I need to do is reach out to get them. Now for the drawbacks. I am out of state, so I would be paying out-of-state tuition. It would cost me around 54k a year to attend. With my parents help, that would amount to around 136k total debt max that I would have to take out. This number however, is probably an overestimation, since renting is a lot cheaper than dorming, and my parents agreed to pay my rent/food if I choose to go. So in reality, it’s looking more like 100k which can easily be brought down to around 60-80k with internships and work while on campus like paid research(which is abundant at UIUC) or work as a RA or in the college town. Average salary for a computer engineer from UIUC is also like 92-99k a year which is insane, and would honestly make that amount of debt pretty reasonable. Another downside, it is in the middle of nowhere, very far from home, and I know no one there. I am sure I can adapt after a while, but it is scary.

Stony Brook: I am in state, and I got a scholarship so it is CHEAP. I am pretty much guaranteed to graduate debt-free(or really close to) as long as I land maybe one or two internships that can pay me like 15-25k. I also got into their scholars program which is a big plus. It is really close to NYC which is where I grew up, and there are also many opportunities to be had there. A LOT of my friends are going so I would at least be comfortable. While the education at Stony is pretty good, they don’t have nearly as many connections as UIUC does tho, and finding jobs/internships might be a little harder and I might have to just shoot out hundreds of applications and hope one lands. Might be an easier path to grad school tho since it would be a lot easier to climb to the top of the class and since the engineering program is smaller, it would be easier to develop closer relationships with my professors.

I’m honestly leaning very heavily towards UIUC rn, but I don’t want to make the wrong choice, take on all that debt, and screw my future self over. Some advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
BTW, I know rankings don’t mean everything, but it’s just the easiest way to compare the level of each school and it is slightly representational of how good each program is compared to others.
Waitlists??
I’m making this section just in the unlikely event I get off a waitlist somewhere so I can make a quick informed decision.

UMich: Ranked slightly below UIUC(like 10 ish spots?) on US news for computer engineering, but it is a slightly smaller school(not saying much) and has more general clout?(I have heard of Umich before applying, never heard of UIUC before applying, could also be because I am on the east coast). If I were to decide between these two schools honestly, it would be because one is cheaper. Umich’s location is better tho, which I have to keep in mind.

CWRU: Smallest school here, which I kind of like. I kinda like the atmosphere at Case the most out of all the other schools honestly. It has the academic rigor and near the same recognition in the industry as umich and UIUC, however from the people I talked to, they aren’t nearly as competitive or cutthroat. Everyone wants to help everyone there. Cleveland is also kinda cool. They have a one-door policy, which means that if I am admitted, I am admitted to all their programs. So if down the line I decide computer engineering is not for me, I should have no problems switching. They are also giving really good financial aid, costs around the same as SBU, like 5k more expensive a year.

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You need to go to Stoney Brook.

Not only would you be foolish to borrow $136K, our friendly feds have made it impossible for you to do so without your parents backing you by cosigning. Don’t forget, those loans grow over time with interest.

So your problem is solved - you cannot go to UIUC. And it’s a good thing - yes it’s a great school with great outcomes - but debt is bad - and 6 figure debt is off the charts ridiculous. But as I said, the government has saved you.

Stony Brook is a great school and I wish you well.

Undergraduate students can borrow up to $5,500 in their first year of college, $6,500 in their second year, and then $7,500 in their third year of attendance and beyond.

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I mean… they did agree to cosign the loans as long as I pay them back afterward. 136k is also the absolute max debt I would be graduating with if I dormed all four years, went on meal plan all four years, and did nothing in terms of internships or work all four years… All of which I’d 100% not be doing. If I do all of the above, going off of what CE students usually make from internships at UIUC from what I’ve seen (which is anywhere from 10k-25k a summer), it is more like 60-80k. Still a lot, but also a lot more manageable than 136.

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A) you can’t borrow that much, so your problem is solved.

B) you are dreaming that you’d make that much in an internship…maybe the low end.

No question UIUC is a better school - but you can’t afford to go there. And you shouldn’t go there even if you can. Fortunately, the government won’t let you borrow what you want - even on the low end.

Best wishes at Stony Brook - it’s a fine school.

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Here are my points: UIUC is by far the better school (you already know this). At least try to contact them and negotiate the sticker price down a little. Offer up the info about Stony Brook’s scholarship,offer. It’s a long shot, especially since UIUC doesn’t have the wiggle room of a private institution, but worth a try.

There is a huge difference between campus appearance and facilities, and UIUC has that nailed down in a very big way.

Not knowing anybody is a good thing. This is especially true considering the quality of the typical person you’re likely to mee at UIUC as opposed to that at Stony, which is overrun with local high school grads.

The previous poster is right about the likely earnings through the internship. Yes, you will get some good (better) ones through UIUC, and they will definitely pay, but you can’t attach anticipatory numbers this early in the game, You might also have to factor in costs like travel and housing, which may or may not be compensated.

Yes, UIUC is in the middle of nowhere, but it would be false to have an impression of Stony that it’s close to NYC. It’s not. It’s in a distant, bland suburb of NYC that many regard as unmanageable in terms of commuting, especially since the train station is a distance from campus and the train service on that line, which involves transfers, is notoriously slow and abysmal, and the tickets are quite costly. Don’t get an idea that you can simply bob back and forth between classes and a job in NYC without significant time commitment, hassle, and expense.

As for grad school, yes, there are employers willing to underwrite it if you work first, but again, nothing’s written in stone, and you are more likely to attract the interest of such employers with a degree from UIUC.

A six-figure debt load is obviously not desirable but considering the offerings available at UIUC, still manageable. Many students graduate with much more (privately accessed) debt than that, from institutions of lesser quality, with degrees in lower-paying fields.

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Kick ass at SBU, go somewhere better for grad school.

Borrowing so much is suicidal.

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Case for basically the same cost as Stony Brook is the best value for you. You get to enjoy the perks of a top private university in a city without the debt at UIUC or the “suitcase school” situation at SBU.

2 questions:
SBU Honors and no debt should be very tempting. Is that more interesting to you than Case Western?

Your parents have said they’ll pay for 20K off tuition (ie., they’d pay half of UIUC OOS tuition) PLUS whatever R&B costs ($12,500 your first year, about $10,000 year2-4)? or do they mean they’ll borrow money for you to pay for R&B?

To give you an idea, 27K is the total debt an undergrad can borrow over 4 years because that’s what a college graduate can reasonably expect to pay back over 10 years. Even if CS/CSE salaries are higher than average, let’s double this, it’s still 54K (meaning you have to pay back about 63k with interest). Going higher than that on debt is insane and insustainable. Your parents would have to qualify every year for the loans and when we’re talking loans that high it usually ends with the parents not qualifying for year 3 or 4, the student having to drop out, keeping the debt and not having the degree…
So, you need to clarify whether your parents have offered to pay half of UIUC tuition+ R&B out of pocket and you’d take a loan each year for the rest, or if it’s 20K and the rest is on you?

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changed my mind - edited

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that’s just silly … SBU has excellent outcomes as far as placement - because the placement is HIGHLY the function of location, and SBU is a quick train ride away from the city.

UIUC is a great engineering school, but SBU is very underrated. BORROWING 100k + for a CS/CE degree isn’t rational.

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Sorry for not clarifying, they agreed to pay room and board in full if I were to rent an apartment I wouldn’t need to pay them back. I need to dorm first year but every year after that I’ll be renting. From what I’ve seen, rent there is like 600 a month which can easily be brought down to 300 with a roommate. I would need to pay them back for any plus loans they r taking out for me, which is around 10k a year, add on another 10k for private loans which I will also need to be taking on. Only reason I’m still considering UIUC is because they agreed to cover room and board sophomore year and up. My gripes with the school is not if I can pay the debt back, 80-100k is manageable for job prospects that good. It’s if the education at uiuc is worth double the price at stony. Also I need to get off waitlist for case first lol, if I do I’m jumping on that matriculation train in an instant.

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nvm changed my mind - edited

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80-100K is not manageable - and that’s before interest. And college costs more than they tell you it costs.

UIUC is not an option.

You have no idea how the job market will be? There’s plenty of IT professionals that have been downsized before - and there will be plenty again.

CS pays based on location. UIUC is placing in Chicago and the Bay Area. If you were hired, in say Indianapolis or Nashville, your salary would be much lower.

There’s a reason the government only allows you to borrow so much.

This is why so many people end up depressed or their parents end up selling their homes or being stressed - at a job loss or any time the market falls.

There were other solid programs out there that are cheaper. You found a great one in SB.

Don’t be a fool. Debt is the worst thing ever to happen to someone - you will want to buy a house but not be able to because you are paying back your loans (don’t forget interest…and rates are headed up).

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I just clicked on the next chain - and there’s a response from Lindagraf (related to pre-med)…but it resonates. I don’t know how to hyperlink from it…here’s the text:

I think young people have no concept of how much money $80,000 (or any amount) really is. That’s sooooo much money. You will be doing well to get a job that pays $80k a year right out of college. Paying back those loans, with interest, which will have to be co-signed for, will possibly take decades.

Consider that you’ll pay rent, bills, groceries, maybe want to buy new clothes or a car, a bike, take a vacation, go out with friends, buy a concert ticket, etc… Maybe you’ll want to buy a house and start a family. To be stuck paying back that kind of money as an undergrad is just not tenable.

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Other than UIUC, another option is going to SBU and also doing a master’s in CS too since it looked like you wanted to go to graduate school as well. You’ll be able to get a better GPA and a graduate degree as well for cheaper money. That would give you a huge boost in the job market without jeopardizing your finances

Looks like Stony Brook has a 5-year Accelerated Computer science Bachelors and Masters program.

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Yeah I changed my mind. Go to Stony Brook, get a good GPA, and apply for the Accelerated BS and MS program in your junior year.

Here’s the link: Accelerated Computer Science B.S./M.S. Program | Department of Computer Science

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I replied to the wrong dude, i said this:
Sorry for not clarifying, they agreed to pay room and board in full if I were to rent an apartment I wouldn’t need to pay them back. I need to dorm first year but every year after that I’ll be renting. From what I’ve seen, rent there is like 600 a month which can easily be brought down to 300 with a roommate. I would need to pay them back for any plus loans they r taking out for me, which is around 10k a year, add on another 10k for private loans which I will also need to be taking on. Only reason I’m still considering UIUC is because they agreed to cover room and board sophomore year and up. My gripes with the school is not if I can pay the debt back, 80-100k is manageable for job prospects that good. It’s if the education at uiuc is worth double the price at stony. Also I need to get off waitlist for case first lol, if I do I’m jumping on that matriculation train in an instant.

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why won’t they cover R&B freshman year? It’s the year you have the least leeway?

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Yea, I did consider that as an option. BTW I’m going for CE not CS, they are similar, but at the higher level, the topics are very different. I believe UIUC also has a 5 year dual degree program, which I am also considering. If I were to go to SBU tho, I kinda wanna try my hand at applying to some top grad school programs since I would have so little debt anyway. But wouldn’t I have a higher chance of getting into a top tier grad program if I already came from a top tier school?

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IDK they r kinda weird. The money to pay for the dorms is going to the school while if they were to pay rent the money would go to me which I would then pay my landlord so i guess they feel more comfortable that way? Plus it is also a lot cheaper so they feel more comfortable paying for it.

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You would have no problem getting into a top program from SB if you had great grades, a great test score, great recommendations, and spent your time there productively - no different than UIUC.

btw - not sure where you think you can live for $300 off campus - you’re in dreamland. Everyone is telling you - you can’t afford this. If there’s smoke, there’s fire.

You also can’t look at “today’s” prices - they are down because of COVID and many kids have lived home and schools are less full, etc. Even we got a sweet deal on my son’s apartment this year vs. last year - although not $600 sweet.

It’ll be a bidding war again by the time you move off campus. You can’t trust current campus housing prices - you will see increases of hundreds of dollars a month once society shakes this beast.

Right now, places are giving 2 free months or cutting rents from $800 to $500 - that’s a temporary phenomenon.

You are young…you are reading a lot of campus recruiting literature which makes you think everything is perfect.

But you will head to a life time of distress and take your parents with you down that path - UIUC should not be a consideration.

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