<p>I asked this question before but nobody responded. What makes an engineering school good? Aren't a lot of aspects of engineering standard at all schools? I'm currently thinking about Boston University and University of Buffalo. If engineering is standardized, is it worth to pay so much more for BU?</p>
<p>A good engineering school teaches people how to be good engineers.</p>
<p>... and good citizens. ;)</p>
<p>Right, but what makes one school significantly better than another?</p>
<p>Well introductory courses will be similar where ever you go. </p>
<p>As far as what makes a school good is (these apply for more than just engineering) :</p>
<p>Large body of professors. Your top school will have considerably more professors than a lesser school which enables the top school to offer many unique courses that just cannot be found at lesser schools.
Technology on campus
Research opportunities stemming from accomplished professors who have done and are doing great research projects
competitiveness and intelligence of student body
Endowment
Job networks
beautiful campus
Many many many extracurriculars (all schools have them, but some schools have some very interesting clubs that can't be found at other schools)
Graduate school placement
Perceived reputation of the strength of a school's program (which runs hand in hand with the strength of advisors and how helpful they are...whether or not they have, for instance, a med school committee that will screen recommendation letters, etc...)
Good food
Good sports teams</p>
<p>---There are many aspects of a good school. These are a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Most of them apply to engineering, but not all.</p>
<p>For engineering, many hands-on labs and an emphasis on projects is the primary determinant if a school is good (in engineering).</p>
<p>Engineering work is not like the vast majority of classes in college, but it does happen to be fairly similar to lab experience and project experience. An emphasis on those elements is very good.</p>
<p>professors that care and put you ahead of research, grads (if that applies).</p>
<p>as an undergrad, it is unlikely that you will need super-specialized professors for all your classes. any decent engineering professor should have a base that is broad enough that you will never encounter situations where their knowledge cannot fill your void. </p>
<p>you don't need a specific magnetoplastadynamics professor to teach you fluid dynamics. you will be just as well of with a professor who got their phd in fluid mechanics. you will never go into MPD to such depth (in undergrad) that a specialist is required.</p>
<p>with that said, you really don't need a ton of specialized professors to make a school superb. you need a solid faculty with enough depth you could never exhaust, yet are broad enough that they can teach multiple classes.</p>
<p>i have a professor that teaches (rotates through): analog electronics, systems and signals, design realization, control theory, experimental engineering, chemical engineering, materials, thermodynamics, and various others i can't remember. he's as knowledgable in all of those fields as i could ever be at the end of my undergrad education. i can go to him for many different things and he sees the bigger picture.</p>
<p>Perceived reputation among those outside of academia is probably one of the most important. Engineering is pretty standard among all schools in terms of what they teach and 10 years after you graduate, companies won't be looking at what school you're from. They'll be looking at experience and what you've done after college instead. However, going to a good school is pretty helpful when you're looking for that first school.</p>
<p>Good alumni networks are always helpful too. You can never have too many connections.</p>
<p>Would PSU be a better school than Embry-Riddle and University of Buffalo. I'm majoring in Aerospace Engineering.</p>
<p>Bottomline: Does College A engineering degree help you get a job more than receiving that same degree from College B.</p>
<p>Substitute your favorite engineering schools/programs for College A & College B.</p>
<p>Day one on the job, you get to start over again.</p>
<p>I don know about the other schools, but I know many employers respect PSU engineering and recruit here ;).</p>
<p>I think a fancy college might help you get your first job but as frankie38 said, it doesn't matter after that.</p>
<p>^^^ Agree. Let me expand a little.</p>
<p>1) BS or BE for jobs: The school name on your diploma may help you find your first job, but it really doesn’t matter after the first date.
2) BS or BE for admission to graduate schools: Again, school name does help you, but more important than the name is your GPA’s & job/research experiences in school.</p>
<p>So, no matter which engineering school you go, just work hard there and take opportunities as they come. This is more or less true for all technical degrees (Engineering Sciences, Accounting, Nursing, Educations).</p>
<p>For liberal art/law/business (other than few number-oriented jobs), a school name does seem to matter somewhat - at least more so than engineering.</p>