University of Wisconsin-Madison vs. UMass Amherst vs. UT Dallas (Computer Science)

College Search & Selection
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Hey guys! I’ve narrowed my list to three schools and need help deciding between them before May 1st (in 19 days!).

I am currently admitted as a math major at two schools but with my AP credits it should be relatively easy to change my major to CS within a semester or two (AP CS and AP Calc BC would get me out of most pre-reqs).

Cost is a minor factor compared to ranking/internships/location for all three schools but I’m not sure if the name/ranking of the school would outweigh the costs. (Basically if the school is worth it)

University of Texas-Dallas (Computer Science)

Cost: Free! + $4,000 stipend (National Merit)

  • Collegium V Honors Program (Small classes of honors students)

  • Priority registration for classes

  • Not ranked too high

  • Near Dallas (big city, tech hub)

  • Really (emphasis) nice dorms

  • Personally know a larger community of people near/at Dallas

  • Weather is good

University of Wisconsin-Madison (Math)

Cost: ~$56K/ year (I’m trying to apply for scholarships but less likely)

  • Non honors program, pretty big school

  • Highly ranked for CS!

  • Not near huge city/ tech hub (Concern: is UW Madison known well in the tech circles on the west coast)

  • Party school?

  • Don’t really know anyone (Cultural fit? I’m from the sf bay area)

  • Snow

University of Massachusetts- Amherst (Math)

Cost: ~$37K/ year

  • Non honors program, pretty small class sizes

  • Ranked pretty well for CS

  • Amherst is a small town (but 1 hr away from Boston, tech hub)

  • Don’t really know people in Amherst but I do nearby in Boston

  • Snow

My biggest priority would be being able to get internships/job offers from good companies and I am worried that going to a school in Wisconsin would offer me less prospects than going to a school in more of a tech hub. (But then again UW Madison is ranked pretty well…)

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

~ a super stressed senior

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They’re all big publics so I would go with the free Honors college. UTD also makes it easier to get software jobs in TX, where it is growing.

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Better question is: what’s (4*37) or (4 * 56) for your family?

If you are from a 1% family and all they care is to maximize YOUR utility function, then you can choose. Otherwise UTD is an obvious choice.

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Assuming that cost doesn’t matter or is a last factor in deciding would you suggest that UW Madison is the best school based on the other factors? I’m concerned that UTD may not have as good of job prospects as UW Madison.

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Texas is where it’s at.
By the time OP graduates, half of California will have moved there :slight_smile:

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Would you say that job prospects from UTD would be similar to those at UW Madison? (if cost wasn’t a factor per se)

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Thank you for your help!

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But all you need is the 1st job, and as a CS grad from a very SOLID school, you’ll have it?
So what would you be paying 224k and giving up 16k of stipend for?

However if it’s TRULY chum change, then … maybe … maybe … Wisconsin is worth it … maybe

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UTD. Lots of growth in Texas. No debt and maybe money leftover? The school has upped its game the past few years.

The only drawback is lack of big sports. But Dallas has other activities.

UW and UMass are well known but not worth the extra $150k or more. Take the money and run.

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UTD. You will have a good job prospect, and it’s almost free.

Two more thoughts besides what others have said

  1. Priority registration is priceless for a CS major. You may want to check how easy/difficult it is to register for cs classes in UW Madison and U MA Amherst
  2. If you come with enough AP credits and plan carefully, you may be able to leave UTD with MS degree in 4 years, all paid by the NMS scholarship
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I think that saving your money for a Master after Dallas would provide the best return on investment.

Now, do you want to study math or computer science?

If you want to study computer science, and if money is not your primary concern, why have you not considered schools ranked in between Wisconsin-Madison and Dallas that offer good merit to NMS (e.g. ASU/Barrett Honors College for about 20K/year) as a middle-ground?

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Mad-town has wilder parties. I hear UMass does too.

If you pick one of those 2 schools, you’ll essentially be paying $150-200K for crazier parties.

UTD honors offers a bunch of perks. Free tickets to the Dallas symphony and other cultural events.

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Changing major to CS as Massachusetts and Wisconsin:

However, unless $240k or $164k is pocket change to you and your family, UT Dallas as a respectable school with full ride is a pretty obvious choice.

College Scorecard does show that, for graduates who received federal financial aid, their post-graduation median pay was $78k at Massachusetts, $75k at Wisconsin, and $67k at UT Dallas. However, as a full ride scholarship student, you are likely to be a top-end student at UT Dallas, rather than a median student there.

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UTDallas :slight_smile: It was originally founded as a graduate school for Texas Instruments and it’s very strong for CS, with excellent contacts in the industry. You wouldn’t lose anything academically or professionally speaking – okay, you’d lose the wild parties and football, but you’d be in Dallas so if need be I’m sure you could find a party or two and a football game or two in the area…
Did you get into Computing Scholars?

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If you’re looking for internship/jobs, UT-Dallas is really the better choice, since you have a full ride scholarship also. It also has a much lower cost of living, giving a lot of purchasing power to an entry level salary. That, with being debt free out of college is a huge advantage.

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