UW-Seatte VS UCSD VS UCD

Hello Everyone!

As all my decisions have come out, these are the 3 schools that are on the top of the list. I have also been accepted to CS at Northeastern but it is far too expensive ($67K a year) and it does not offer that much in terms of reputation. I have also been accepted to CS at Drexel but it costs about $46K a year which is about the same as UW and it does not seem to offer the same prestige level as the others. If anyone can make a case for either of these two schools, I would love to hear it.

It is worth noting that I applied to, and hope to pursue, CS at each of the schools I applied to.

I got into CS for UC Davis. Approximately $61K a year.
I got into pre-science for UW-seattle. Approximately $47K a year.
I got into my alternate major of econ at UCSD. Approximately $59K a year.

I think that in terms of general prestige, UCSD and UW seem to be higher on the lists than UCD. But the only reason I am considering Davis is because of the direct entry into my major. As for choosing between UCSD and UW, I am leaning towards UW because its cheaper and its in Seattle. However, I must say living in California sounds appealing as well.

I would like to know what you guys think. I am a little confused right now so a little help would be much appreciated. Would it be risky going into UW or UCSD with no guarantee or would it be safer to go to UCD (with cost of attendance and location all considered)? And as for a comparison between UW and UCSD, is picking UW a no-brainer due to cost and no direct entry into CS at either?

Thank you in advance!

Congrats on your acceptances!

I would offer the same caveat regarding the CS program at UW that I have offered previously. See here:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-davis/1978034-uc-davis-or-uw-seattle-for-cs.html#latest

@Banker1 Thank you for your response.

Yes, I am aware that unfortunately not everyone gets into the CS major at UW. But I was thinking that because my high school stats (33 ACT, IB Diploma Programme) will be better than the average student there (honestly not bragging) and the $15k a year cheaper price, it may be worth trying to make the 43% cut.

Are you suggesting that Davis is my best choice because of the risk involved?

I just wanted you to be aware of the risks of not being a direct admit at UW. My D is considering UC Davis for Chem E and we’ll be exploring the campus tomorrow but honestly I can’t recommend it or UCSD (my alma mater) at the OOS price point. If you are comfortable with risk of competing against other top students for the limited spots then go with the cheaper option.

@Banker1 I see. Thank you for the insight. I will be sure to contemplate this further.