Value of Carnegie Mellon vs Purdue vs OSU for Electrical & Computer Engineering

Colleges and Universities A-Z Ohio State University
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>It is coming close to decision time, and I am trying to pick between The Ohio State University, Purdue University, and Carnegie Mellon University, and I am thinking about majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering.</p>

<p>OSU and Purdue have given me scholarships, and I would be paying about $13,000/year at OSU and $25,000/year at Purdue.</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon has not given me a scholarship, and I am eligible for very little in terms of need-based financial aid. I would very likely be paying the full price for Carnegie, which is around $62,000/year. Also, I have received admission to Carnegie, but not to its Electrical and Computer Engineering program. I would have to apply as an internal transfer into that program at the end of freshman year. I have heard both from people on College Confidential and from the admissions department at CMU that everyone from the last couple years who tried the internal transfer got into the ECE major without any issues, but again this is not a 100% guarantee.</p>

<p>I know that the average starting salary for an ECE major out of Carnegie is around $20,000 higher than the same degree from either OSU or Purdue, but is that enough to justify the higher cost of Carnegie Mellon over four years? Advice from any students at the three schools or anyone else who could shed light on the quality of the ECE program at any of the three universities and career prospects at the end of four years would be really appreciated.</p>

<p>I personally like Carnegie Mellon the best because it has arguably one of the top 3 Electrical and Computer Engineering programs in the country, its student body is highly intellectual, and I believe I can put together a great network there. However, I think the last would be true of both OSU and Purdue as well. I have visited all three universities, and I don’t think I would be unhappy at any of them, but attending Carnegie excites me the most. However, I really do want to get the best value for my tuition dollars, especially with the huge difference between the tuition at CMU vs OSU and Purdue.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Finances being equal or even in the same ballpark I would definitely recommend CMU for that major. In your case you’re talking a difference of 150K over four years. If your family is wealthy and that kind of money comes easily, then go with CMU. Otherwise, go with Ohio State and bank the 150K for grad school or to start your fist business.</p>

3

<p>All 3 school are very good, but I’m not going to lie, CMU will put you in a better position. Paying for college always puts a dent (small or big) in a family’s finances. If you/your family can pay the tuition at CMU without that large of a dent, than go for it.</p>

4

<p>One thing to consider in your decision is that the difference in starting salaries may be partly the result of different admissions standards. The students earning 20k more at CMU may just be higher achieving and smarter than OSU or Purdue students, on average, and thus they can command higher salaries when they graduate. If you are the caliber of student that could get into CMU, you may be on the high end of engineering students at OSU, and therefore end up with a higher salary regardless of where you go to school.</p>

<p>Also, you didn’t say whether or not you were looking at having to take out student loans for your education, but if you are, that should be a major part of your decision. If your parents are able to fund your education at either school without issue, then your choice is a little easier, but taking on six figures of student loan debt shouldn’t be something you do without serious thought.</p>

5

<p>Okay, thanks! Do you know if there is any significant difference between the Electrical & Computer Engineering programs at the two schools? Does one get more research opportunities than the other?</p>

6

<p>In SCS at least, a lot of the grads take jobs in high cost of living areas, which is likely part of reason for the higher average starting salaries. <a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/career/salaries-and-destinations/2012-survey/pdfs-one-pagers/2012_SCS.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cmu.edu/career/salaries-and-destinations/2012-survey/pdfs-one-pagers/2012_SCS.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;