I have been accepted into UIUC (out of state) and UCI (in-state), both as a Computer Science major and I’m having a bit of trouble deciding which one I should choose. For UIUC, I got into the CS major in the Grainger School of Engineering and for UCI, I got into the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. Just as some additional info, my current plan is to pursue a Master’s degree following undergrad.
At UCI, I received an invitation to the Campuswide Honors Collegium, which gives me priority course registration, guaranteed housing, and a guaranteed research project before I graduate. I also received the Regents and Dean’s Scholarships, which result in $26k total over four years.
UCI will cost $126k over four years and UIUC will cost at most $232k. If I do receive some scholarships, this may come down to $212k at best. My parents will obviously have an easier time paying for UCI since it’s way cheaper. But, I am sure they can figure out a way to pay for UIUC (most likely with loans) even though it may be a bit more difficult.
After all this, I really have two questions that need to be answered for me to choose between UIUC and UCI:
Is it worth it to pay between $80-100k more for UIUC?
If yes, what can I do at UIUC (internships, jobs, etc.) that I can’t do at UCI? (i.e. what justifies spending the extra money for UIUC)
Sorry for the long post and I truly appreciate any help/advice you guys can give!
@bluebayou
Thanks for the response! So, do you think the internship opportunities (during undergrad) and job opportunities (after undergrad) would be about the same?
If you are in CS the internships will be most available on the West Coast. UCI’s location and reputation will not put you in any disadvantage. The same can be said about employment after college.
@jzducol
Thanks for the response! I’ve heard that large tech companies (FAANG) recruit more from UIUC rather than UCI. Would I be at a disadvantage in that sense by going to UCI and does that justify paying the extra money for UIUC?
UIUC is on a path to bankruptcy; it will be relying on OOS families like yours to “pay the extra money” which doesn’t benefit your education. After all, CS learning takes place mostly outside of the classroom, and FAANG recruiting is very merit based. I don’t believe tech hiring in general looks at school brand very closely, unless you are talking about rare applications hiring managers come across like from HYPSM. But even those kids would still have to ace the tests before interview.