I am having a hard time choosing, I know UIUC is very well known for engineering, but ChemE is in their LAS college, not the engineering one, does anyone know how does that affect the program?
I also can’t choose between UMN and UW-Madison: although both are very well ranked in ChemE, UW is much better ranked in the national ranking… how much of a difference does that make? Any advice is welcome, please.
Be careful of weed-out policies.
UIUC chemical engineering requires a 2.5 GPA to stay in the major.
https://chbe.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CHBE-Advising-Manual-2017-2018-combined.pdf (2.3.1 GPA requirements)
Minnesota has an admission-to-major process where you must earn a 3.2 college GPA in your technical courses to get into your major. Lesser GPAs may be admitted if there is space available, but chemical engineering is one of the more “full” majors, so that few of those with under a 3.2 have been historically admitted.
https://cse.umn.edu/r/application-to-a-major/
http://www.advising.cse.umn.edu/cgi-bin/courses/noauth/apply-major-statistics
Wisconsin requires chemical engineering majors to earn a 3.5 technical and 3.0 overall GPA to stay in the major.
https://www.engr.wisc.edu/academics/student-services/academic-advising/first-year-undergraduate-students/progression-requirements/
Note that the average GPA of frosh chemical engineering majors is slightly under 3.5, indicating that a large percentage are weeded out.
https://registrar.wisc.edu/grade-reports/
“I know UIUC is very well known for engineering, but ChemE is in their LAS college, not the engineering one, does anyone know how does that affect the program?”
Not at all.
Employers and grad schools (in the US) will not care at all.
The GPA factor is a real differentiator.