<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>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Sounds like you have an excellent profile so I would not worry about job. You will succeed anywhere you go. Here are my points and I hope it help. </p>
<p>We visited Purdue and truly impressed. With what? They have 3 and 5 year Co-Op; internship. Look into it and it will help out with the expense and secure job. Professors are not stuck up, helping students and the school has many program to help students succeed. Many new buildings going up so the school is well funded. Response and infrastructure is well organized. </p>
<p>I checked US New’s ranking; Purdue is No. 10th on Engineering and Computer Engineer. Check this out and that will help weighing whether it worths paying that $62k versus $25k. I would not even compare these 2 with OSU. OSU has MECOP but the infrastructure of the school is very disappointing to me. The school has no funds, … took one week to reply to everything, not so helpful at all. I live in OR and visited OSU twice. I still don’t understand why people are exciting about this school. </p>
<p>This country is full of students who cannot pay off their loan. $62k x 4 is a big number. How many years will it take you to pay back? I guess the calculation will help decide. It seems Purdue will offer you best value in this case. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks! That’s great information. Do you know anything about Purdue’s job placement? Is it easy to get an internship at a company you would want to work at? Also, what are the undergraduate research opportunities like at Purdue?</p>
<p>I studied EE as an undergrad. CMU is famous for its CS program and it also has a strong program for ECE. However, it is sure that Purdue and CMU are on the same level for ECE program, and I would say that Purdue actually has a longer history in EE than CMU. According to Usnews ranking, CMU is ranked 7th tied with Cornell and Umich, and Purdue is ranked 10th right behind them. ([Best</a> Electrical Engineering Programs | Top Electrical Engineering Schools | US News](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/electrical-engineering-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/electrical-engineering-rankings)) It is obvious that they are similarly strong for ECE. Although I used grad school ranking, it is actually better in weighing the strength of a school in a particular area.</p>