I can’t make a decision
Every rankings I saw ranked UW Madison over UIUC for Chemical Engineering.
Does it make UW Madison a better choice for ChemE? I thought they both are similar engineering schools.
Thanks!
Either would be great and both are very strong. I don’t know if you can measure which is better for undergrad particularly, I agree with you on similar. If one is cheaper or you like the environment better, I’d go with that.
Chemical engineering is a little stronger at UW-Madison. It’s a good question, because in other engineering departments, UIUC has a slight edge. Traditionally, Minnesota and Wisconsin have had strong chemical engineering programs. Companies like 3M in Minnesota have been instrumental in the development of novel chemical engineering applications. So the rankings you see are likely appropriate.
I can’t imagine that it matters one iota to anyone which of these schools you get your ChemE degree from.
http://www.engr.wisc.edu/cmsdocuments/cbe-undergrade-handbook-2009-v7.pdf
Wisconsin has their main ChemE lab CBE 424 Operations and Process Lab the summer after 4th year which means it takes 2 months longer to get your degree. I’m not sure if you walk with your class for graduation. This might sway you.
That is a 2009 handbook. It will be ten years old by the time this student is preparing his fourth year.
One of the reasons chemical engineering may be slightly better at Wisconsin is due to the deep ties it has formed with companies for recruiting. It is for similar reasons that petroleum engineering, for example, is ranked highly at UT-Austin and Texas A & M. The coursework at both UIUC and Wisconsin should be fairly similar. Research applications may vary somewhat.
In terms of enviornment…
I heard the city of Madison is better than the city of Urbana Champagin
However, I also heard UIUC 's facility is generally nicer than UWM. Especially dorms.
Is it true?
Is Chemical engineering classified as “engineering” in UIUC?
It is under the department of Science and Liberal Arts… O.o
Disclosure: I have affiliations with both university systems, so I will be as balanced as I can. Now that I have that out of the way:
For undergraduate experience, I would much prefer Madison. Yes, it is generally known as one of the best college campus / town experiences in the country. One indication of this is that many high school students from the state of Illinois try for admission to UW-Madison each year. Not as many go the reverse direction.
At Wisconsin, dorms vary widely. There are very new, very old, some on the lake, some closer to the city. I don’t think that would be a major factor at either school, because each is so large they will have many choices. I am not so familiar with UIUC dorms.
If you were choosing a different engineering discipline, such as electrical, mechanical, etc., I would recommend UIUC. As per above, for chemical, I do feel Wisconsin has the advantage.
It’s the most recent one and if you check the timetables, you’ll see that this required class is offered this coming summer and at no other time
If taking the required capstone class over summer after senior year is irrelevant to the OP then ignore this.
Madison is beautiful in the summer.