<p>My son is interested in Engineering. He got accepted to WUSTL and then offered a full ride to Florida. I think he is leaning to WUSTL. We can afford WUSTL but it would be a struggle for us. Does anyone have any great reason to go to WUSTL ($50,000K/yr) vs. UF (free)? He has visited both schools and feels he could be happy at either. How do the engineering programs at both places compare?</p>
<p>UF for $0 > WUSTL for $200,000. Since you stressed that you would struggle to afford WUSTL, I would say this is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Wash U does not have a distinguished engineering program relative to UF. I have a couple of friends who did engineering at Wash U and they have the same sorts of jobs now that my UF friends have. I would definitely not fork over the $50k/year.</p>
<p>UF - definitely</p>
<p>The fact that you say that it would be difficult for you to afford WashU is an indication that it’s not a wise choice. It’s very hard to go 4 years without having some other major financial issue come up - such as: the fridge needs replacing, the leaking roof needs fixing, the old car finally dies, the home A/C needs replacing (we’ve been given that “good news” Ugh…$8k for that.)</p>
<p>Also, remind your son of this…</p>
<p>if he goes with the cheaper option, you can help him other ways - a study abroad, a car, help with the purchase of a first home, whatever.</p>
<p>Thx Alexandre. Do you have any specific knowledge regarding the merits of the 2 different engineering programs? I don’t mind struggling to pay if I felt that WUSTL can give him a superior engineering education and a leg up on employment opportunities or grad school?</p>
<p>I am not an engineer ILDAPISC, so I can’t really break it down, but I know that according to the rankings, Florida’s college of Engineering is ranked slightly better than WUSTL’s college of engineering (#26 vs #40). A couple of friends completed their PhD at MIT, and one of them raved about Florida’s Nanotech research and faculty. If your son wants a career in Engineering, or if he wants to go to graduate school for Engineering, I don’t see how attending WUSTL will give your son an advantage over a Florida student and with a $200,000 difference in price, this really is a no brainer.</p>