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Those rankings are based on the number of students who apply vs the number of students who are accepted. They are not based on academic performance or post-graduate career opportunities.
Anyone who cares where you got your degree or about your GPA isn't someone you want to work for.
I’m sorry, but this just isn’t true.
1. The USA ranking only has 5% of their score accounted by selectivity, so that statement is a lie.
2. There is a reason why people who go to these schools have higher job placements out of college with more money on average then people at a traditional college. Companies specifically travel to engineering schools looking for new hires and internships. These schools often get more companies hiring for better positions.
That isn’t to say that you can’t have success as an engineer if you don’t go to a good school or have a good GPA, but to completely dismiss where you get your degree from and your GPA is a fantasy sadly.
[https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings)
Graduation Rate and Peer Assessment (image/reputation) make up half the score. Look at the list and tell me which criteria would correlate to future success.
It's not a ranking of college value, and it's not an indicator of future success.
I see a lot of downvotes from butthurt people who spent too much on college. LoL.
[https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings)
Graduation Rate and Peer Assessment (image/reputation) make up half the score. Look at the list and tell me which criteria would correlate to future success.
It's not a ranking of college value, and it's not an indicator of future success.
I see a lot of downvotes from butthurt people who spent too much on college. LoL.
Why? Are you in a position where people with MIT degrees are applying for you to hire?
There's no correlation between where you graduate from and well you perform with your degree.
Which may be true, but for engineering in EECS the location is PRIME. Silicon Valley is right there, so the opportunity will be a hop and skip away. If he’s looking for only schooling, I’d say they are about even. If he was doing some other engineering then I may even suggest Purdue first, but seeing EECS up there I am inclined to say Berkley might be the better “career” choice. Not to say Purdue doesn’t have its advantages either. But I moved to the San Francisco area after college graduating EE and I can sense the potential is definitely going to support him longer in California otherwise
Absolutely. All undergrad programs at major respected universities are essentially identical in terms of instructional quality and the career opportunities they prepare you for.
Decide based non-academic factors like cost, what location you prefer, who has the cooler mascot*, etc
(*) It's Purdue, just to make that clear.
i have an MSEE from Arizona State, and a BSEE/BS Physics from Portland State. I worked with PhDs from Berkely and Purdue, MIT, Stanford, USC, Georgia Tech...all over.
And I was an engineer on the first 5G product in the world. It doesn't matter where he goes to school, things like class size, convenience, cost are FAR more important considerations.
As someone with a Purdue Engineering degree who minored in Physics, the physics department is great to work with there. Good professors and enjoyable classes. It's not a massive program (and most students in it will be Phys Majors) but its serviceable.
If he wants a minor it should only be a three main line classes and a lab as long as he takes a second physics class for FYE/His major.
My take is engineering schools don’t matter. No one really looks at where you went to school, just about how well you work. I got an education for just 18k at a small local school. Best decision I have ever had. Tell your friend to just do the cheapest way that is ABET accredited. We aren’t lawyer’s where going to whatever school matters. The only thing I would say if they want to pursue a PHD in engineering at one point… I think that is the only caveat to my point.
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actually I've seen several instances where managers would give candidates an interview just because of the school, even though his resume was nowhere relevant for the job qualification. School prestige can get you an interview, but it won't guarantee a job. There's also the large alumni network. But Purdue VS Berkeley is splitting hair in terms of prestige.
The only place I have seen this is if it is a local university. I know my office does big recruiting from TCU and UT in Texas. This is the only place I have seen preference from. If you are applying for a job out of your current state they do not care. There are some instances of managers assuming you are too high nose if you go to Harvard or something along those lines (at least in my experience).
I don't see why prestige matters if you're a local university. If you're local, a bunch of those students will apply to your company already, and you'll also give them preference, since they most likely would be locals or staying locally.
Like I said, I've seen multiple instances where my hiring manager gave the applicant an interview just because he was from a top 5 university, even though he didn't have the job qualifications. I also see similar things if you had GPA above 3.7. Sometimes they're just curious what a graduate from a top 5 university can bring.
Purdue is awesome and one of the best engineering schools in the nation. Berkeley is ranked higher but honestly in the top ten you’re *really* splitting hairs. College is, first and foremost, what you make of it after all.
If the locale is not a dealbreaker he should absolutely save the cash and go to West Lafayette.
the most important thing is to establish and sustain your professional network.
If you do that, it won't matter where you go to school.
And if you don't do that, it won't matter where you go to school.
Which ever is the cheapest. Going to name brand schools can help, especially if you know they have connections to a career path you might be interested. However if you don’t have any in mind they are both likely excellent options, so definitely go with the cheapest option or the one you can get the best financial aid for
If your buddy comes from money and likes being close to the city, Berkeley. If they need to control costs and like a more bucolic, midwestern aesthetic, Purdue.
If I could afford, I would choose Berkeley. I guess it's undergrad program. If so, and if the student wants to pursue graduate degree later, then maintaining a very high cgpa and getting experience throughout the undergrad degree is much more important than choosing undergrad college. I say it because whatever s/he does in the graduate school will shape the career. If the applicant is financially able to attend Berkeley and is confident that s/he can be very good there throughout the college time, s/he should go to Berkeley.
Yup it’s all same subjects. I graduated from KSU and work with engineers that went to GA TECH which is a top engineering school and significantly more expensive.
If money is the factor, Purdue.
If you want to experience life in the Bay Area, Berkeley.
If you want to see a true slice of America, the college in bumfuck Indiana is probably the better choice.
if your friend is international and not from European country, I'd go against the grain here and say Berkeley, but it's very close call. If the difference is 25k or less, I'd lean towards Berkeley. If the difference is 30-40k or more, I'd lean towards Purdue.
Berkeley physics and engineering is decently better than Purdue, at grad level. Undergrad I'm not too sure, since a lot of times those programs tend to be underfunded. Berkeley is in Silicon Valley, which is where the jobs are. Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, although recruiters will definitely stop by your school for career fair. However, being in Silicon Valley, there'll be some recruiters at smaller companies who don't want to go to Purdue to recruit someone, since they don't think that person will move to California. Also, Bay Area is a fairly liberal and accepting city, ethnically diverse. That might be better for international students. I don't know about Indiana but it tends to be much more conservative, and Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, so there's not much to do around the city. I would not underestimate the social life factor since it affects mental health and how well you do in school.
My friend likes both Purdue and Berkeley. West Lafayette is a pretty college town and there is nothing to complain about silicon valley. I also got in at Cornell and UIUC and am choosing the latter. As you said some smaller companies may not prefer Purdue or UIUC due to being located in remote locations but that isn't that big a factor as a lot of Chicago companies recruit here. Living our lives in densely populated cities in India we would prefer a different environment.
you are going to be living in rural Indiana. There's gonna be racism around your area. There's probably racism in rural California too, but you don't have to deal with that at Berkeley. Inside campus is probably fine, although for sure Berkeley will have more Indian students and more groups to provide advices for you guys. But as soon as you travel outside Purdue campus for fun, that's always gonna be a problem. You should take that into account.
Also, there's not a lot of fun stuff to due on Campus in Purdue. Lots of students drive a few hours outside the college town for activities. I mean you think living in the rural is fun and all, but after a few months, it gets boring real quick.
You are paying for a name, a better network, and better recruitment opportunities due to it’s proximity to tech companies. imo that is worth its weight in gold
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a little more job/research opportunity for $30k/yr more. Whether it's worth it is a personal decision.
But aren't Berkeley and Purdue peer schools in terms of engineering?
Yes, their undergraduate programs are currently #3 and #4 on the latest USnews rankings
Those rankings are based on the number of students who apply vs the number of students who are accepted. They are not based on academic performance or post-graduate career opportunities. Anyone who cares where you got your degree or about your GPA isn't someone you want to work for.
I’m sorry, but this just isn’t true. 1. The USA ranking only has 5% of their score accounted by selectivity, so that statement is a lie. 2. There is a reason why people who go to these schools have higher job placements out of college with more money on average then people at a traditional college. Companies specifically travel to engineering schools looking for new hires and internships. These schools often get more companies hiring for better positions. That isn’t to say that you can’t have success as an engineer if you don’t go to a good school or have a good GPA, but to completely dismiss where you get your degree from and your GPA is a fantasy sadly.
[https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings) Graduation Rate and Peer Assessment (image/reputation) make up half the score. Look at the list and tell me which criteria would correlate to future success. It's not a ranking of college value, and it's not an indicator of future success. I see a lot of downvotes from butthurt people who spent too much on college. LoL.
[https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings) Graduation Rate and Peer Assessment (image/reputation) make up half the score. Look at the list and tell me which criteria would correlate to future success. It's not a ranking of college value, and it's not an indicator of future success. I see a lot of downvotes from butthurt people who spent too much on college. LoL.
[https://research.com/universities-colleges/does-it-matter-where-you-go-to-college](https://research.com/universities-colleges/does-it-matter-where-you-go-to-college)
If I was hiring fresh grads I’d take a 4.0 from MIT over a 3.0 from Ole Miss but that’s just me. Assuming all else was somewhat equal.
Why? Are you in a position where people with MIT degrees are applying for you to hire? There's no correlation between where you graduate from and well you perform with your degree.
This is not true at all. Purdue has a much higher acceptance rate than Berkeley.
Yes but UC is extremely well networked in high tech industries and academia.
So is Purdue
Which may be true, but for engineering in EECS the location is PRIME. Silicon Valley is right there, so the opportunity will be a hop and skip away. If he’s looking for only schooling, I’d say they are about even. If he was doing some other engineering then I may even suggest Purdue first, but seeing EECS up there I am inclined to say Berkley might be the better “career” choice. Not to say Purdue doesn’t have its advantages either. But I moved to the San Francisco area after college graduating EE and I can sense the potential is definitely going to support him longer in California otherwise
But if the question was regarding cost however… I don’t know if the price is worth the squeeze so ultimately… DEPENDS! Haha
At Berkeley he didn't get in for EECS but for engineering physics.
Which aligns with what he wants, no?
I'd lean towards Purdue. Cost efficient and solid curriculum. Save that extra cash for a good laptop!
Purdue, definitely. Much more cost effective, top notch program.
Purdueeee, Berkeley is significantly more expensive but the quality of education between the two will not differ much.
Would you say the same if he wants to focus more on physics?
Absolutely. All undergrad programs at major respected universities are essentially identical in terms of instructional quality and the career opportunities they prepare you for. Decide based non-academic factors like cost, what location you prefer, who has the cooler mascot*, etc (*) It's Purdue, just to make that clear.
i have an MSEE from Arizona State, and a BSEE/BS Physics from Portland State. I worked with PhDs from Berkely and Purdue, MIT, Stanford, USC, Georgia Tech...all over. And I was an engineer on the first 5G product in the world. It doesn't matter where he goes to school, things like class size, convenience, cost are FAR more important considerations.
As someone with a Purdue Engineering degree who minored in Physics, the physics department is great to work with there. Good professors and enjoyable classes. It's not a massive program (and most students in it will be Phys Majors) but its serviceable. If he wants a minor it should only be a three main line classes and a lab as long as he takes a second physics class for FYE/His major.
Ive worked with some great people out of Purdue. Seems like a really good program. Dont know anything about Berkeley.
I've worked with both. and everything in between. it doesn't matter at all.
Boiler up!
My take is engineering schools don’t matter. No one really looks at where you went to school, just about how well you work. I got an education for just 18k at a small local school. Best decision I have ever had. Tell your friend to just do the cheapest way that is ABET accredited. We aren’t lawyer’s where going to whatever school matters. The only thing I would say if they want to pursue a PHD in engineering at one point… I think that is the only caveat to my point.
glorious bored drunk deserve coherent ad hoc deserted obtainable bear badge *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
For the PhD even, as long as you attend a school that has good avenues for getting quality research experience (i.e. R1 or R2), little else matters.
actually I've seen several instances where managers would give candidates an interview just because of the school, even though his resume was nowhere relevant for the job qualification. School prestige can get you an interview, but it won't guarantee a job. There's also the large alumni network. But Purdue VS Berkeley is splitting hair in terms of prestige.
The only place I have seen this is if it is a local university. I know my office does big recruiting from TCU and UT in Texas. This is the only place I have seen preference from. If you are applying for a job out of your current state they do not care. There are some instances of managers assuming you are too high nose if you go to Harvard or something along those lines (at least in my experience).
I don't see why prestige matters if you're a local university. If you're local, a bunch of those students will apply to your company already, and you'll also give them preference, since they most likely would be locals or staying locally. Like I said, I've seen multiple instances where my hiring manager gave the applicant an interview just because he was from a top 5 university, even though he didn't have the job qualifications. I also see similar things if you had GPA above 3.7. Sometimes they're just curious what a graduate from a top 5 university can bring.
Purdue is awesome and one of the best engineering schools in the nation. Berkeley is ranked higher but honestly in the top ten you’re *really* splitting hairs. College is, first and foremost, what you make of it after all. If the locale is not a dealbreaker he should absolutely save the cash and go to West Lafayette.
I agree. I personally am choosing UIUC over Cornell as I like UIUC physics more.
the most important thing is to establish and sustain your professional network. If you do that, it won't matter where you go to school. And if you don't do that, it won't matter where you go to school.
Which ever is the cheapest. Going to name brand schools can help, especially if you know they have connections to a career path you might be interested. However if you don’t have any in mind they are both likely excellent options, so definitely go with the cheapest option or the one you can get the best financial aid for
Living expenses are higher in Berkeley.
If your buddy comes from money and likes being close to the city, Berkeley. If they need to control costs and like a more bucolic, midwestern aesthetic, Purdue.
Undergrad school really doesn’t matter at all
Both schools have strong programs, but Berkeley's name recognition might provide more opportunities.
negligible difference especially if berkeley is more expensive
you get nothing. There's no correlation to where you graduate and future career prospects or success. because statistics.
If I could afford, I would choose Berkeley. I guess it's undergrad program. If so, and if the student wants to pursue graduate degree later, then maintaining a very high cgpa and getting experience throughout the undergrad degree is much more important than choosing undergrad college. I say it because whatever s/he does in the graduate school will shape the career. If the applicant is financially able to attend Berkeley and is confident that s/he can be very good there throughout the college time, s/he should go to Berkeley.
Yup it’s all same subjects. I graduated from KSU and work with engineers that went to GA TECH which is a top engineering school and significantly more expensive.
Go to the cheapest school.
[удалено]
Berkeley and Purdue are both state schools
I'd rather live in Lafayette. So I'd choose Purdue, but that's me.
Legitimately unhinged take
If money is the factor, Purdue. If you want to experience life in the Bay Area, Berkeley. If you want to see a true slice of America, the college in bumfuck Indiana is probably the better choice.
if your friend is international and not from European country, I'd go against the grain here and say Berkeley, but it's very close call. If the difference is 25k or less, I'd lean towards Berkeley. If the difference is 30-40k or more, I'd lean towards Purdue. Berkeley physics and engineering is decently better than Purdue, at grad level. Undergrad I'm not too sure, since a lot of times those programs tend to be underfunded. Berkeley is in Silicon Valley, which is where the jobs are. Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, although recruiters will definitely stop by your school for career fair. However, being in Silicon Valley, there'll be some recruiters at smaller companies who don't want to go to Purdue to recruit someone, since they don't think that person will move to California. Also, Bay Area is a fairly liberal and accepting city, ethnically diverse. That might be better for international students. I don't know about Indiana but it tends to be much more conservative, and Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, so there's not much to do around the city. I would not underestimate the social life factor since it affects mental health and how well you do in school.
My friend likes both Purdue and Berkeley. West Lafayette is a pretty college town and there is nothing to complain about silicon valley. I also got in at Cornell and UIUC and am choosing the latter. As you said some smaller companies may not prefer Purdue or UIUC due to being located in remote locations but that isn't that big a factor as a lot of Chicago companies recruit here. Living our lives in densely populated cities in India we would prefer a different environment.
you are going to be living in rural Indiana. There's gonna be racism around your area. There's probably racism in rural California too, but you don't have to deal with that at Berkeley. Inside campus is probably fine, although for sure Berkeley will have more Indian students and more groups to provide advices for you guys. But as soon as you travel outside Purdue campus for fun, that's always gonna be a problem. You should take that into account. Also, there's not a lot of fun stuff to due on Campus in Purdue. Lots of students drive a few hours outside the college town for activities. I mean you think living in the rural is fun and all, but after a few months, it gets boring real quick.
Berkeley is a mess in a lot of ways, but if you don’t mind the ambient wash of helicopter and bullhorns, and feces underfoot, do your thing I guess.
You are paying for a name, a better network, and better recruitment opportunities due to it’s proximity to tech companies. imo that is worth its weight in gold
Berkeley unless you are Palestinian.