I am a junior transfer student admitted to the CSBA program at USC and the CS program at UCI and I will likely have to do 3 years at either school. I am undecided because I want to go into tech entrepreneurship and startups which is what USC is known for. Also, CSBA is a unique major to USC that I find very appealing. However, the price difference is real. Any advice would be appreciated
How much of the cost would be debt?
That’s a tough call. The CSBA sounds cool and all, but for the same money you could continue all the way through an MBA at Irvine. (Your three undergrad years might also give you enough time to complete one of the minors offered by the business school.) For that matter, you could get your undergrad CS degree from Irvine and then go to USC for a Master’s in Business Analytics and still have money left over.
So… USC offers better “packaging” and there is certainly weight behind the alumni network and resulting opportunities… but before you commit to spending $180 for undergrad there, make a list of alternative ways you could spend that extra $90 - including graduate programs at USC that would still loop you into the alumni community there - and then decide what strategy would give you the most value - including both tangibles and intangibles - for that money.
(It does also depend, as ucbalumnus said, on whether the extra money is money you actually have to spend, or potential debt-load. Graduating without debt is a powerful opportunity in and of itself.)
@ucbalumnus it would be 180k for USC and 45k total as debt for me personally. I subtracted the amount my parents are willing to contribute. It’s kinda complicated to explain but those are the end results
@aquapt very insightful, What are your thoughts on debt for CS since the return on investment should be higher?
Do you mean to say that USC would mean $45,000 additional money from your parents and $45,000 debt (versus no debt at UCI)?
Note that $45,000 is more than you can borrow on your own. Some would have to be parent loans or cosigned loans, which are not generally a good idea.
Well… debt with a highly employable skill-set is certainly better than debt without said skill-set. If you’re sure you want to enter the workforce straight out of undergrad, and work full time for at least as long as it takes to discharge your student debt, then $45K of debt for a CS degree isn’t necessarily a deal-killer. It’s still low-key indentured servitude, but it’s fairly comfortable and manageable indentured servitude with an end in sight. 
Whether it’s worth it, as opposed to starting your post-college life debt-free, is a very individual decision. It does constrain your options somewhat; it depends how much you value the options you’d be forfeiting. (Even leaving aside the options outside of your desired field, do you want to be free, as an entrepreneur, to work for a lower salary plus options if you have a chance to get in on the ground floor of a great startup?)
Also look at it in terms of your parents’ situation. You’re not going to be able to borrow $15K/year just in your own name. More than $25K of that debt will have to be cosigned, and if anything ever happened that prevented you from working and repaying that money yourself, that debt would stay irrevocably upon your parents. So if you do go the USC route, do have a candid conversation with your parents about their debt-exposure and perhaps consider getting a life/disability insurance policy. (Gloomy stuff to put out there, sorry, but as you say about the cost itself, it’s real.) Not saying that they shouldn’t cosign your loans if they are willing and you both have planned wisely; just saying it’s important to discuss it and be clear.
There’s also the question of the overall experience you want to have for three years, and what subjective value that has for you. They’re both great schools with great reputations, but the “vibes” are quite different. Obviously you’d like to be at USC, or you would already have gone with UCI at half the cost. It’s a tough and very individual decision. Anyway, congrats on two great options!
Irvine is probably the better choice, pragmatically speaking and barring any major fit concerns. It is well known and respected enough and is located in a recruiting hotbed for CS.
It’s worth keeping in mind the OP does not actually have that skill set yet. It is 3 years of challenging classes and a lot of work away. If the OP sees it thru, great. If the OP decides CS isn’t all its cracked up to be, big problem…
Personally I would avoid the debt. In this case you are trying to decide between two very good schools. I think that you can do well with a degree from either, assuming that you are motivated and pragmatic.
I agree that taking on debt if you are studying towards a very employable degree is better than debt if you are studying towards a “hard to find a well paying job” degree. As such the debt would be tolerable. However, IMHO it is still better to avoid the debt.
45k debt isn’t the absolute end of the world but I also don’t know if it’s worth it in your situation. Maybe if it was USC vs some random school then it would be, but UCI’s well known and has a good CS department and you could probably minor in the business school too. If you’re planning on going to grad school, maybe doing undergrad at UCI and then grad at USC is a better choice. But if your heart is truly telling you USC, I don’t think you’d regret it too much in the future, your major and school will probably prepare you well to get a high-paying job once you graduate, and pay off the 45k.
@mikemac , agreed. There’s a very big difference between the number of intended CS majors and the number of CS graduates. (Have experienced this in my own family, and I’m glad the student in question didn’t feel like she had to stick with the CS idea because of debt concerns.)
And a nice thing about Irvine is that it has some really great CS-adjacent programs, including a particularly excellent Informatics program, as well as majors in Information and Computer Science, Data Science, and Business Information Management. (And all of these could funnel into an MBA or a Business Analytics Masters, for which there would actually be $ left.) UCI is a great school - any of these degrees would be well-respected and a great credential for employment.
@ucbalumnus @aquapt @ddeebaa @yikesyikesyikes @mikemac @DadTwoGirls
Thanks for your responses. Sorry I just realized I mistyped my previous post about the debt I would be accruing and I wanted to update:
What I meant to say was 180k (USC) vs 45k (UCI) in total personal debt I would have to take
Are those your only 2 options? Why not look for a school your parents can afford without having to carry huge debt? If you end up with a well paying job you can pay for a grad degree wherever you want.
Why will you need 3 years to graduate? Are you changing your major?
Is this a serious conversation? You’re for real considering $180K in personal debt to go to USC? Leaving aside where/how you would even borrow that much money in three years (maybe you mean that your parents will pay but expect you to pay them back?)…
If you are interested in startups and entrepreneurship, sound financial decision-making is a big part of that. Think of this as your first business school case study. (Starting with one whose answer is super-obvious.)
$45K debt for UCI is not ideal, but it’s not terrible, and you’ll get a great education. Case closed.
(Besides, shouldn’t you already have committed to one and declined the other, by now?)
“180k (USC) vs 45k (UCI) in total personal debt”
This changes the picture quite a bit. $180,000 in debt is way too much. Don’t do it.
$45k in debt is a lot, but tolerable for a CS major from a very good university such as UCI. Go with UCI unless you can find an equally strong choice with even less debt. Also, be aware that you will need to get your parents to co-sign in order to borrow this much money.
@austinmshauri yeah these are my 2 options and for engineering its more probable for transfers to need 3 additional years. good advice about grad school ty
@aquapt sorry I guess I am somewhat naive for asking this seemingly black and white question but I really wanted to see as many outside perspectives as I could before finalizing this decision. I appreciate your perspectives and advice.
@dadtwogirls I agree, its starting to make alot more sense
Sorry if I sounded harsh - I was just a little shocked. $180K is more debt than most MD’s finish with, and even a lot of them have serious regrets. $180K debt for a bachelor’s… nopeity-nope, NO.
Our country has reached the point where seniors are starting to have their social security garnished because their student debt still isn’t paid off. Don’t let this be you. (Assuming social security even survives until your retirement, but that’s a whole 'nother discussion, lol.)
I would never recommend ANYONE take on $180K debt and you may well have a difficult time getting loans for that amount for an undergrad degree. My kids are both USoCal alums but we would NOT have allowed them to attend to take on that type of debt. I’d definitely recommend you take on as little debt as possible so you can have more options upon graduation. UCI is an excellent U–go and you will do fine and have great options!
Remember, to get loans, you or someone on your behalf has to QUALIFY for the amount of the loan, EVERY TERM. Then, there’s the mater of repaying the loans. Please don’t take on such huge debt, especially if you may not be able to find anyone qualified to get a loan for you as the debt gets higher and higher and you may not be able to get ANY bachelor’s degree.