I have been accepted into UMN-Twin Cities, University of Southern California, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, all for Electrical Engineering.
I know that for engineering, USC and UMN are ranked around the same while UIUC is ranked high above them. USC as a whole is generally more prestigious than the other two. Now, I am having a hard time choosing mostly because of the prestige vs. cost factor.
The cost of attendance for each school after all scholarships/aid would roughly be:
UMN: 10k (in-state)
USC: 41k
UIUC: 52k (full price)
Thankfully my parents are willing and able to pay ~15-20k a year for my education. I could graduate debt free from UMN! But would the stronger alumni connections, prestige, and opportunities at USC and UIUC warrant the debt?
Location of the school matters somewhat. I love LA and Cali in general, unfortunately the area around USC seems dangerous. Urbana Champaign seems kinda boring. The Twin Cities are great but after living in MN all my life, I would like a change of scenery don’t 'cha know?
Lastly, I’m not too keen on pursuing a masters degree but I know that the cheapest school would be the smartest if I did. Do you really need a masters in engineering and would UMN limit my chances at prestigious masters programs?
While it’s not ideal, I am willing to take on the debt if the more prestigious school is better for my career trajectory.
I would love to hear any thoughts and/or advice, thank you!
That decides it. $20k + $5.5k (federal direct loan) + $4.5k (reasonable work earnings) = $30k, which falls far short of USC and UIUC. So Minnesota it is.
No, you do not need a master’s degree to work in engineering after graduation.
As mentioned - go to the “reasonably” priced school. Even trying to swing USC, with you digging up 25-30k a year on your own, is unnecessary and likely impossible.
Even if you decide you really wish you had done USC or UCIC (or any place else) you will be able to use the 100k+ you didn’t spend for a masters if that floats your boat. USC Viterbi grad school is higher ranked than the undergrad. You can get a masters there or any number of other great (and less expensive) schools.
Just do well in your UG work and you’ll have lots of great options.
@Sybylla@ucbalumnus My parents are willing to take out loans for me, which I would plan on paying back, though I don’t necessarily want to burden my family too much.
But yeah, I was leaning towards Minnesota in the first place but the prestige factor was throwing me for a loop.
@archeny additional thought: if you want a change of scenery, start looking at study abroad options as soon as possible. Find out if you can even do it as an engineering student (can be difficult) and if your aid money will go with you. If you can do a semester abroad - or even a semester exchange in the US or Can (UofT, McGill?) - might make the 4 years more interesting. If your scholarship doesn’t follow, and if you can fit a semester abroad into your course requirements, some abroad programs are more reasonable than others. so it’s worth doing some research. You could also look at a summer program. They tend to be pricey, but some are more affordable.
