<p>Suppose I want to major in history, is there really a difference in the education I will receive and the amount I will learn between a school with a strong history program like Yale and a school that does not have a strong history program like Caltech?</p>
<p>Yes…</p>
<p>…seriously???</p>
<p>Ummm… yeah… but only cuz Caltech is a tech school. At traditional college and universities it really doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>IMO, the answer is…it depends. </p>
<p>Assuming you’re talking about a technical school and are interested in engineering, for example, the stronger programs are likely to be a source of recruiting by major engineering companies. Weaker programs may be recruited by regional firms. Likewise, major teaching hospitals will hire from the best programs while small regional hospitals may hire from smaller schools. Obviously, there will always be lots of exceptions to this, particularly for the best students. Everyone will know someone from a smaller program or lesser school who is at the best employer or grad school in the country. </p>
<p>Assuming you’re talking about a liberal arts major, then the answer may be more complicated. What do you want to do with the degree? </p>
<p>Whether grad school or other future career, the strength of your program is something that adds weight to your resume to draw attention to your candidacy. If all else is equal (GPA, scores on GRE, LSAT or other applicable test), the person or committee reviewing your application will likely consider the strength of your program as well as evaluating the courses that you selected. English major who took sci-fi and romance writing may not be weighted as heavily as English major who took Shakespeare and Grammar classes, for ex. This is one of those infamous “soft factors” that defines your resume. </p>
<p>A strong program by definition is likely to offer a broad selection and challenging classes in the major, as well as Professors who are well-known in the field. Those Professors may offer research or editing opportunities that also add weight to your resume. If they’re well-known enough, being able to say that you studied with Prof X, Author of Y and/or national authority in the field of Z, is definitely of value to those who actually know something about your major. The school with a strong program may be able to draw prestigious speakers and network with the top individuals in the country in that program, which adds further value to your educational purchase.</p>