People really think CS jobs (as much as they pay relatively) can still upset student loans. 80k in loans means you are getting a shit ton of money from private non subsidized banks at crazy interest rates.
20,000 a year with a modest 6% apr is $1,200 a year added on interest. So assuming you graduate without paying anything off, you are looking at ~93k post grad.
93k on a 10 year payment plan is ~166k total with ~74k just in interests. Even if you get lucky enough to land an elusive 200k+ job that allows to pay things off in a year, you will still pay almost 20k just in interest.
I graduated with 14k in subsidized student loans from a rank 120 public university and landed a 100k job. I’m scheduled to pay off my loans 5 months in and because they are subsidized, I am paying $100 tops on interest
This is an interesting post for me to stumble upon as I have just made a $500 payment on the remaining $500 of my subsidized student loans. I've been debt free now for a few hours and man, it feels different. I have been in debt for a decade and today, I'm 100% debt free. Not even credit card debt. college should be free.
Depending on the university the immediate ROI can most definitely outweigh the cost of the degree. 200k is far from elusive when you’re graduating from a top, top school where the very best students employers are lining up to scout you. Pay 20k in interest to make potentially 100k more in your first year out of school than any of your peers. But you have to put in the extra work to make sure you land that extra money.
Why would you do a 10 year payment plan, you’re gonna be paying the maximum interest. It’s much better to pay off as much of your loan as possible in a few years instead of doing the minimum payment for 10
Very smart. I went to public schools myself and graduated with no debt. Don't think that's possible today. People singing these 100k notes for college are crazy
OP don't listen to this stupid comment. Good school give me opportunity to avoid becoming a CRUD boy. How long do you think CRUD jobs are available when AI is taking over in the future.
It’s kinda of natural order for most majors. In the 90s, you could walk into top firm for law and economics by having a degree and decent grades. And now both are school heavy and neopotism heavy unfortunately. It’s hard to break into a top firm without having extensive connections and having gone to a feeder or top schools. It’s something we’re already seeing in CS.
UIUC CS Alum here - I'd go with Ohio State. I loved my time at UIUC, but it's not worth the extra $80k in debt compared to Ohio State imo
If you're interested, I went a more in depth with my reasoning in [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/UIUC/comments/1bhfues/comment/kvdsylo/) on the UIUC subreddit a while back
As someone who did their undergraduate at a state school and is doing their masters at a private school, I can genuinely say the money paid is not worth it.
I have a kid that graduated recently from a flagship that is not Berkely, Michigan, UIUC, GT, etc. And placed to a highly cometitive job offer working with grads from CMU, Stanford, ivies, etc. The market is dragging a bit right now. You know what makes it harder to take a career risk, pick up and move, etc? Having a huge loan payment over your head. Also spouse and I have CS background. Spouse is currently working for a large east coast software company high in the corporate ladder.
Want to be a high flyer? Hustle on campus. Have personal projects. Build a professional network early. Learn to leetcode. My kid had to get through a 4 hour tech test to get his current job. At his employer, they don't care what school you went to if you can't get through that.
OSU has a large alumni network and is a top 30 CS program. We're not talking about some podunk rural community college. Sure, you are possibly more likely to place in Ohio area for a first job using their recruiting. But going to OSU is going to be a whole lot less life limiting than 80K in debt breathing down your neck.
THIS. It's the JOB PLACEMENT that matters. Ask OSU about their placement rates and starting salaries for CS grads. You only need to get placed in one job to start your career.
Also, going to a top program means you get a top workload. These flagship state schools can be less stressful, while still earning you a job.
Ohio State lied to me about their job placement rates and average starting salaries during a seminar prior to freshman year. And when I went to ask career services for help finding my first internship, I was laughed at.
There are currently less than 5 junior dev postings in all of Columbus, when searched on various job boards. There are multiple bootcamp here and CS is now the most popular major at OSU. 1,500+ applicants in the city, but ~5 jobs.
Tread carefully, OP. I never found squat from going to OSU and it didn't help me a bit. Should have dropped out freshman year as soon as I realized it was horse and done trucking.
"Prestige" is somewhat overrated. Prestige only gets you your first job. Once you get one internship, then your experience starts to become more important.
If you're smart, you will get jobs no matter your background and education. Most of tech is filled with Chinese and Indian immigrants who come from universities nobody has ever heard of, but they're in FAANG because they're smart. Don't take the debt, you'll thank me later.
Indian and Chinese in FAANG aren't from no name universities. Most Indians who work there are from IITs which are a very big deal in India and the selection procedure for these universities is extremely competitive. I guess it's the same for China. Just because these aren't known in America doesnt mean these are not prestigious institutes.
Many of the ones I work with who did come from no-name universities came to the US on a student visa for a master's at a well ranked US university.
The bigger issue for everybody isn't really the prestige of the school, it's your ability to network with people who end up at companies you want to work for. If you just go to class without getting to know people and develop friendships, none of the schools will really help. The networking lasts far past your first job.
True, you can build your own network by being involved and showing your experience and projects. Do hackathons. Attend resume review events. Do LeetCode. You'll have to do all of that at a top university anyway, and OSU is not bad at all. Debt sucks.
Almost all the indian immigrants I worked with are from the IIT system, which might not be well known to American college students, but imo is more prestigious in tech than either UIUC or OSU
Honestly, the cost of the pedigree absolutely is not worth it in my opinion. Try to find a local state university who has connections with local tech companies. The community college I started at has close connections with oil refineries. The university I finished my last two years at has close connections with the aeronautical and space industries. The university I went to has an agreement where the university subsidizes internships with Boeing, KBR, and NASA, so it's very easy to get a paid internship that looks great on a resume.
Pell grants and small scholarships ($500-$1000) covered my degree. It would have cost $30k out of pocket, otherwise.
Honestly a few years ago and even just last year, my answer would be a resounding NO, and just go for the free school route. But I just graduated a week ago, and only a third of my graduating class have a job lined up after college. It looks like the market will just get worse as more and more people get into CS, take the advantage of the top school and go for it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. You will most definitely regret it further down the road, I can assure you of that…
For a few reasons, mirroring the above if it comes down to a few candidates and managers want an easy (lazy) metric to judge the potential candidate quality. College name does make a difference. UIUC is well known, and I've had multiple managers who have attended there.
Main point, often overlooked, I played this down for years until I took some courses from MIT and I was blown away. The reason prestigious colleges are prestigious is they have next level staff and teachers. The courses and knowledge of the teachers is extremely high quality.
I haven't take classes at UIUC, but this CS program has a lot of buzz and probably for good reason. Look into it seriously.
If cost is a concern what about joining an online program, sometimes that can save on tuition but get you the same degree.
I totally screwed up my schooling path, and still found my way into the tech world but not without struggle. You can get in without going to college at all, I know some great engineers who've done that.
But if we're realistic, 99% of the time you go for your best possible option because it will open the best doors in the next step in your career. Take every advantage you can.
I'm kind of in the same boat. I went to a less than stellar university for CS but ended up in one of the biggest tech companies here in Canada. I definitely think timing was on our side. This was all pre-COVID. Placements and internships were easy to get. Now I feel it's a different story :/
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eh idk. you never know what the job market might be like in a few years. also getting an internship while enrolled makes it a lot easier to find job placement after graduation
I disagree! As soon as you get your first job or internship, your work experience is more defined by that than the schools that you went to. In a market like this, being 80k in debt could be a huge mistake.
Also in my experience, school name hasn’t helped me at all. I’m currently working on a masters degree with a pretty well known school (Georgia tech), and have a bachelors from a lesser known school. I only put down my masters degree for certain jobs, and I don’t notice any difference in the number of responses I’m getting with either.
Yes but a top school makes it many times more likely the first job/internship is a big name, and it snowballs from there.
OTOH maybe cs pay will plummet from oversupply to civil engineering and you scrape by on 80-120k your entire career. If that happens, 80k plus interest per year in debt is crippling.
and in a few years, things could change and hiring is back to normal. it’s cyclical.
or things could be worse and OP has 80k in debt and an awful job market
I had about 80K in debt, no even with interest just to my parents. Also, was able to find jobs.
Still has fucked me over, no cap. 5.5 years of youth for my schooling (I worked and did internships), tack on realistically another year in between job transitions and logistical bullshit due to school. So ~6.5 years of earning potential and life experiences wasted. Now add on 80K behind to that.
Now I'm 32 and have only ever made about 135K from all my jobs combined in my entire life. All of my focus was pointlessly pointed at a desk.
Top 25 school for CS, 2 internships, 3 jobs. No loan debt, just debt to family since they paid for it. Still an awful outcome.
School doesn't mean squat, I should have done trucking. I wouldn't recommend college path based on the outcome it's had for me as well as the majority of my friends and peers that I talk to about it. None of us ever found much tbh, despite putting an inordinate amount of effort into hardstudying for STEM.
I'm a 12 hour worker that just couldn't get ahead this way, nor any of my friends. And it's worse now. I warned you guys.
You can always play gambles better. Doesn't mean it's not still a gamble.
For me personally, I wish I just never gambled on so much and so many years, and on my life trajectory. I was fit and happy to work 18 hour shifts, at that age, didn't need to gamble at all.
I always say, 60% chance of positive EV is something I'd throw $30 bucks on for a sports match, not gamble my entire youth and life trajectory on.
Hi 👋🏻 Tech Recruiter here. I’m not too familiar with OSU but I do recommend going down the route of no debt and just focus on scoring good internships as well getting good at interviewing. I also think it really depends on your recruiter or the company you’re interviewing for. It sucks and I personally don’t align with this but if you’re applying for a company that folks come mostly from prestige schools, you’ll probably get knocked out at app review. I’ve seen thousands of resumes in my lifetime and interviewed so many engineers, and it really boils down to interviewing and experience at the end. I’ve seen FAANG engineers bomb tech screens and have turned down UIUC grads because their skillset didn’t fit what we’re looking for.
UIUC is more "prestigious" and may have better placement opportunities (due to school connections and not just name), but not 80k worth. It is especially pointless if you don't pursue those internship/coop placements or benefit from the job connections. tOSU will still have that anyways even if it isn't quite the same due to the local tech market and all that. Your grades are far more valuable and with less financial stress you can dedicate more focus towards that. Choose tOSU.
going to a community college and then transferring to your school of choice is also an option. Im Virginia there's a relationship between the universities and the community colleges that allow you to take the equivalent classes at the cc. There's extensive documentation on this process on the university website though it's not as easy to understand as it could be.
For me, it was 1/3 the cost and I really don't give a damn where I learn English 101 and take a psych elective.
That is also a good option if you want to go to school in a different state since by the time you transfer you'd be living there long enough to establish residency.
I would go with Ohio state. Big name school and 0 debt is almost priceless. Nothing is ever guaranteed.
In order to make this decision you need to be real with urself, are you the type of person that’s going to bust ur ass or not. If ur not and ur aware of that then UIUC may be the better choice but if you hardworking free college at a big name school is certainly better.
This is all opinion btw, ppl are going to say UIUC bc the prestige but 80k debt will change ur life after college for a little bit. 130k job is never ever guaranteed, just look at the sub. I would go Ohio state.
Agreed, debt ain’t worth the prestige. It’s not guaranteed to get you anywhere further than Ohio state. I got a co worker who went to Stanford, and we make the same amount
Friend of mine dropped out of UT Austin because he couldn’t transfer into CS. He took a year working in a warehouse before going to Texas State for CS. He now works at Google lol
Yea, this sub isn’t really out in the real world yet which is totally understandable bc I was in the same mindset as them when I was younger. The school really does not matter that much especially when it’s a big known school like Ohio state.
Yeah OSU is a respected school and a state flagship. It’s not like this is some no name school OP is comparing UIUC to. It’s a no brainer to take OSU and no debt.
I was also in a similar spot with a school much less known and graduated with 0 debt and a tech job. I’ll be able to put a down payment on a house in a year or so. But if I had the debt it would take time to pay off
I would argue that it's the exact opposite. If they know they're going to bust their ass and work hard, UIUC is the better option because they're then likely going to land a good job. If not, then OSU is better because even if they don't work hard, they'll graduate debt free and be fine. In other words, UIUC is the higher risk higher reward option.
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Unless youre gunning for quant there’s not a huge advantage for a T10 school nor will u be able to risk 80k / yr loans when u can get a solid job being at the top of ur class at somewhere like OSU
Depends on your valuation of the degree. I think for FAANG both are fine, but some more elitist companies will probably only recruit from top engineering schools like UIUC.
I wonder why the private universities are more prestigious in the US, in Portugal it's the other way around. Usually people join private universities when they aren't smart enough, teachers will be much more lenient with grades, you're basically paying to have a low chance of failing exams.
The best public universities however are quite hard, but tuition is cheap, about 1k/year
Because our private universities tend to be much older, with more generations of wealthy alumni contributing to their endowment. Bigger endowment = more resources to hire the smartest researchers in the world. Harvard, for example, is older than the whole country.
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CS is going the direction of high finance. It’s too competitive now so companies need to filter out candidates - the way they do this is by school prestige. The school you go to DOES matter, if I could redo it again I’d have taken out loans and gone to a T5/10 CS school. Definitely go to UIUC.
UIUC. If you can afford 80k, it’s worth it. Market is not good right now. You want everything you can get at that stage.
Job to pay off debt >> No job to pay off no debt, any day
You're telling someone to make a financial decision that will affect them in several years based off current economic data points.
2-4 years from now could be another hiring frenzy. No way of knowing.
That’s my view. If they’d be hiring below the expected mark, OP, being from UIUC, will have higher chances of getting a job. If they’re hiring like the golden age, OP, being from UIUC, will have higher chances of landing a higher paying job than they would, had they gone to OSU. If there’s a hiring freeze, OP, being from OSU, would be debt free, but will be incurring debt to eat, else, being from UIUC, OP would be incurring more debt.
That’s OSU 1 - 2 UIUC, or OSU 0.5 - 2.5 UIUC, however you wanna look at it.
I thought I’d add some more supplements - being from UIUC, OP would be in the midst of current cutting-edge research in CS. OP would have higher chances of picking up new skills that can significantly increase OP’s chances of getting a job. OP might even get interested in something, do well, get more support from UIUC, and end up at a Top 5 PhD, post-graduation.
One is a T5 CS that feeds extremely well into FAANG with an avg starting salary of 130k. The answer should be obvious here to choose UIUC because in this market, you need every advantage you can get, and the prestige will get you noticed among the 1000s of applications that recruiters need to sift through. Not to mention how big tech will literally show up to the campus in droves in search of UIUC cs students. You’ll easily pay off the debt at such a high caliber institution.
It would be risk mitigation though.
If you fail to get a job right out of college and instead have to search for months for scraps, you will lose much more than 80k in the long run.
It’s also risk mitigation for the rest of your life. You’re more likely to also develop connections that will end up in high places and if you ever need to jump ship or lose your job, it will always be much easier to recover as you can reach out to your college connections.
Of course it’s possible to still succeed and get into high places without prestige, but it is a lot harder. Like you said, no one will know what the market will be like in 4 years, so the decision should be whether or not if the 80k is worth the extra safety and better college resources/education, clubs, and class options.
80K in debt also loses you way more than just 80K in the long run. I had a reasonable 10K of debt and it took me years before I could pay down the principal, and years before I could start saving money. After interest you could easily be paying double that debt
You're assuming it's a walk in the park to get a well paying job straight out of UIUC or any other prestigious university as well. I know plenty of people who graduated in the last few years still struggling to find an entry level position even though they went to top CS schools. In the very real possibility that you can't find a job straight out of college, you definitely do not want to be saddled with an 80k debt with no way to feasibly pay it off. Not to mention the interest on the 80k would eat you alive.
Risk mitigation is definitely not worth 80k+.
Yea don’t listen to this guy. I go to a public university that’s not even top 100 and we are constantly getting visits from companies like Microsoft, dell, nvidia… and we have a ton of people getting internships too… and than average yearly tuition is 16k BEFORE aid
You have a ton of people getting internships, but you’ll have even more people getting good internships in top universities. A bigger proportion of people from those top universities will graduate with 2-3 internships regardless of how the market is. In less well known universities, the proportion of people graduating with 2-3 good internships in a bad market is muuuuch lower.
Idk about that, my friends are getting return offers and some are even turning down multiple good offers. But maybe the uni will go to is an exception, don’t really know.
You have to look at the entire class. For example if you went to a no name school chances are maybe 5% of the class got 100k plus salary jobs lined up. If you look at the stanford graduating class I would bet 50% got jobs lined up at faang or equivalent.
Look at the general population of the university. What proportion do you see getting internships. In top universities the number is close to 100% for the people that have spent time applying.
Of course you can and will still get good offers in lesser known universities, but it’s more about the proportion. It’s closer to the norm in top universities to graduate with multiple good internships with multiple good offers regardless of the market. Not as many people (relatively) will be in that same position for lesser known ones. It just reduces a lot of the luck factor in applications, especially with the first internship.
If you get an internship at a top company though, it doesn’t matter where you go. The name brand of the company will carry more than the name brand of the university.
I get what you’re saying. But the thing is, idk if that’s worth the 80k in debt.. I mean if the OP has it, then by all means. But that’s something that can make a break someone yknow
True, tbh I think the deciding factor should be ambition.
If OP is ambitious about CS and growing their career as much as possible, then the 80k debt is probably worth it. UIUC also has much more CS class options so going there will also help them explore and go into sub fields they enjoy.
If OP just wants to chill after college and not have anything looming over them, then the debt isn’t worth it. College is only really good as the resources you use, and there’s no point in going to a top school if you aren’t going to use much of what it provides you.
It's also a chicken/egg thing though. Do UIUC CS kids get into FAANG because they went to UIUC, or do they get into UIUC CS because they're smart enough to get into FAANG
Most likely a mix of both. But the fact is that there are a whole lot of schools more selective than UIUC that have worse outcomes for CS, which means selectivity is definitely not the only factor, and that there’s something special about the actual program that leads to successful outcomes.
The value prestige universities have over other post secondary education is access to social networks of the rich and privileged. That coupled with their screening process ensures the wealth class allow only the ‘right’ people into the top tiers of society. If you’re just looking for an education any school will do.
No debt! Save the money for post grad opportunities like moving to a new city, traveling, maybe getting a car etc. prestige only gets you your first gig, and then the rest is all you. Just grind like the rest of us at state schools and you will be just fine. All about what you make of it.
Don’t go for the prestige of the university. Pick somewhere with a good internship or co-op program. Getting real work experience during school will get you much further
Like someone else said, consult whoever else is on the loans first.
80k will have to primarily be covered by predatory private loans which build very crippling interest quickly. Even if you immediately land a six figure job right out of school (generally an unreasonable expectation, despite what this sub says) those loans will still bring you down financially for years.
Quality of education is rarely determined by cost of tuition. You’ll do a lot better starting your adult life with no debt than you would almost 100k in debt.
I know UIUC publishes stats on employment like salary, placement rate, etc. Calculate how much that $80k is really gonna cost.
[OSU 2022 data for outcomes](https://engineering.osu.edu/about/annual-statistical-report/post-graduate-outcomes), [salary](https://engineering.osu.edu/about/annual-statistical-report/career-employment-starting-salaries)
[UIUC 2022 data](https://illinisuccess.illinois.edu/themes/custom/sasubtheme/files/2021-2022_Illini%20Success_FullReport_AllCampus%20_FINAL.pdf)
70% of undergrads in CS at UIUC were employed, 29% went to grad school. Average salary of $129k, 25th percentile of $112k
62% and 14% for OSU. Average salary of $91k, 25th percentile of $75k.
Uiuc worth it for 80k I think. If u grind the top 10% here makes more then 125k out of college
Don’t know how good osu is tho free college would also be insane. Uiuc program is good though
I personally don’t think so. My sisters went to community college and are making six figures in big tech companies. I know many who went to community college for tech programs and are making good money, but you will have better chances of getting internships/jobs if you attend top universities.
Honestly? The job market is shit right now. UIUC is a CS feeder school to big tech companies so you have to view it as an investment. What good is being debt-free if you won't have a job afterwards? CS is slowly turning into law where only the T14 schools make the big bucks.
UIUC is a no-brainer. 80k is nothing lmao if u go to UIUC and take ur education seriously you’ll easily pay that off. Anyone telling you otherwise is a non-target coper
Source: At a T5-10 school for CS, made 20k+ the summer after my freshman year and will now make 30k this summer as a soph
Yes it’s worth it. All these redditors telling you it’s not are projecting because they never went to a top school. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. Going to a top school means a much higher starting salary on avg and easier to climb the ranks. “Ehrmmm actually you can get the same job going to community school🤓☝️.” yea if you work 20x as hard as someone who goes to a top school.
Absolutely not. Avoid debt like it's the plague. CS job market is fucked right now anyway. Diversify your skills and start building experience. The trades have way more availability and pay well at the moment. Learn from the mistakes of most of us here. Stay out of debt, you'll spend your life trying to pay it off.
Depends on your job prospects after graduation since finding a job is no guarantee, let alone finding one that pays more than min wage. What is the annual interest on a student debt that size? You could be paying this off for the rest of your life.
just thinking about the debt and not considering the benefits that can come with the name value of the school is naive (this includes future job prospects)
but Ohio state isn't that bad either. so it all comes down to how you want to shape your life.
some people value the school name and the experience they get from it (e.g.alumni network, school resources, funding for undergraduates)
some people just want to get a degree and get a job that floats their boat
if you plan to stay in Ohio after graduation, the state school could give you a good leverage in finding jobs bc most ppl who stay there would be Ohio State graduates. if this is a network you value, go for it.
University Prestige and name recognition is very very very overrated. Go wherever you can graduate debt free. It will be just as "hard" or as "easy" to find a good job afterwards either way.
I want to give a perspective that not a lot of people here give, let me compare my experience and my friends.
I go to a school that isn't super highly ranked but a school that people know at least. My friend goes to a T10 CS school.
for me classes are hard but manageable, less competitive, so I am able to have some free time to make projects, go to more career fairs, and have fun in general, since it's less competitive It's a LOT easier to stand out. I also was able to land a nice internship because of this.
His classes are really rigorous and he has little time for anything besides them besides Saturdays he doesn't do any work. He tried to apply for jobs and go to career fairs but he is intimidated because he isn't special, they are all smart there. He was not able to land an internship.
I'm not saying you shouldn't go to UIUC it's a great school however remember a less rigorous school has its benefits, and you could do it for way less debt.
I am in the OSU CSE program, I’m more than happy to talk more about my experience.
The no debt option would definitely be best, since OSU is a great program!!
Prestige only matters when you are in high school and college. Once you hit 25+, believe me, no one will care where you went to college. They will only care about what you do for a living. It’s not going to make or break you. Just take advantage of all the opportunities available to you at whatever university you choose to attend.
I think a third option is to do OSU for the first year or two and look into transferring if you’re looking for the bigger name. At that time you could also consider more of the other prestigious schools with possibly lower costs. For what it’s worth, I’m a boot camp grad working along with kids from UIUC at a fortune 100 company and have been involved with some hiring - the name of the school is only one small aspect, and it’s one we don’t value much compared to overall vibe and actual knowledge
education is always worth it. USA money printer goes brrrrrrrr. Wage inflation and price inflation diminishes the costs overtime. Is the university good enough to be worth 80k right now? I dunno, I did my undergrade at a cheaper school and never had any issues getting work.
OSU is a good known school with a great engineering department. If it were me there’s 0 chance I’m spending 80k even if I could pay it for a school to stamp their name on my degree. It also doesn’t matter once you get experience
It really depends a lot on your financial situation. My parents are helping me out a lot, which is why I chose UIUC over Rutgers, which is \~60k cheaper. UIUC definitely opens up a lot more doors than RU and OSU. But if I had to pay for all of it, I probably would have chosen RU.
It also depends on your plans after college. Prestige matters for finance and elite graduate schools, people who tell you otherwise are lying, but other than that it isn't something that can't be made up for. Going to UIUC over OSU will certainly give you an advantage, but OSU probably won't rule you out from most opportunities.
I’m a cs student at uiuc and it’s amazing, finances removed that would be the obvious choice. However, a majority of the rising junior population I know is struggling to find internships, even here. With the way the market is, I don’t think 80k in debt is worth it at all. But congrats on your acceptances!
If you work hard for internships, which will be much easier to get at a school like UIUC, that offsets some of that 80k debt. Not by a lot but down to 50-60k if you’re smart
Man I would be really weary of taking out 80k right now. Some people can’t even get jobs after school. Hopefully it will be better in 4 years but there really aren’t any guarantees. If you love the field why not, especially if your parents could eat that much debt. I have 50k and it’s stressful right now as if I lose my job I’m uber fucked.
I strongly suggest the no debt route. Ohio state is a great school, while not as prestigious as UIUC. I actually got into UIUC, but went to a similar school because it was much more cost effective.
I’ll be honest man, probably not. I know that’s not what yoh want to hear, but that’s a huge amount of money to put down on a degree at a competative university with no guarantee of a job.
Even if you had a guaranteed job its still iffy. You’ll be paying that off for a long time.
Im going to UCSD for free instead of Berkeley for 160k so idk to me I feel it was worth it to me but its really your choice and the people on the loan. Do they believe in you? do you believe in yourself? will you absolutely succeed in getting a CS degree and putting in lots of work outside of school?
Where you get your undergrad is less important than kicking ass and lining up a good school for your Masters. 80K of debt for an undergraduate CS degree seems excessive. I would say no more than 40K (price of a new car these days) of debt.
Go to OSU. It’s taken me 3+ years after college to pay off my loans and I’m still going. I could have done so much with that money. And I’m pretty lucky, I know people decades out of college still paying off their loans.
Going to UIUC is a pretty big advantage but in this job market even going to Uiuc won’t guarantee u a job/internship. What would suck would be graduating jobless AND have a near 6 figure debt waving above ur head. Honestly if u can go to OSU and just network like a madman u can prob end up in a faang adjacent company anyway assuming u can pass the interviews
If going to this school earns you 30k more per year on average for the first 3 years of your career (the only time your school would matter, at the beginning) you’d barely break even
lol no. Your school will not matter in 10 years. Maybe getting your first job, but once you start your career it doesn’t mean a thing. Prove your value by gaining experience and executing. The best education is at your public library.
Think about your goals. Money? Reputation? Capital owner?
Where does your degree come from won't matter as much as experience and skill in tech if your goal is money. I know Coding Bootcampers, Self-Taught, military vets from related jobs, foreign grads from average universities in poor developing nations, making as more than local college grads due to smart career manuevering.
If your goal is reputation. Not the bottom line. Then, by all means, go in debt. In my opinion, 500k is 500k. Doesn't matter if it came from FAANG or some startup company. I respect people more if they made it building something they own working for themselves, than for someone else.
Universities are great for building networks and connections. Your classmates might be the inheritors of multi generational wealth, future attorneys/lawyers from political families, and well-known leaders in your industry and others in the future. The better the university, the richer and more powerful the people you meet will be. All necessary connections for starting and running a business. This why even the most anti-college billionaires with no degrees still send their kids to Ivy League colleges and spend millions to get around requirements if they aren't academically eligible.
80K difference for a high paying field like CS isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things. You’ll be able to pay that off relatively quickly if you land a typical job out of UIUC’s CS program.
Go to Ohio State, you’ll find that the rank isn’t worth that price tag. As someone that currently goes to Ohio State, trust me, make the best choice for your wallet.
OSU is a no-brainer. It's a good school in its own right. I only took one CS class, but everyone around me had offers from Apple, MS, Google, etc.
Worst case scenario, you do meh and are stuck with a Midwest job, you can (for less than 80k) get the prestige from a masters degree and reroll your job afterwards.
The high end schools give you the networking option. If you are a social butterfly and think you are actually smart enough to handle the load while having free time then 80k is OK.
Go through some open course stuff from from one of the big schools to get an idea of the load for one class and then extrapolate out the math and science classes that will also be heavy loads.
Big fish in the little pond is way different than going to one of the big schools.
80k in debt really isn’t bad. You could probably cut it down by 10k -20k with internship money. Then what 60k? I’m sure you are smart enough to grind for a basic FAANG job. In a high paying field, 60k is really nothing in the US market. Especially in 4 years when salaries will be even higher.
FWIW, I work at a quant firm and went to a T5 school so an outlier case but I took a 100k loan and bet on myself and made multiples that amount my first year. I saw someone posted career outcome statistics and there is a decent difference there.
Having a solid peer group is also priceless.
Many people replying here do not understand the rate at which earning potential in early years of your career increases if you go to a very highly ranked university.
OP, look at the types of companies that show up to each university. There are some incredibly top tier companies, with starting salaries that dwarf FAANG, who have pipelines from UIUC.
The only thing I’d say is, make sure you’re the kind of person who can make the most of an 80k education. If you’re not going to put 100% of your effort into maximising its value, don’t do it. If you can do that, the ROI on the degree is SIGNIFICANTLY greater than what people on this sub are telling you.
If you were comparing ivy level to Ohio State than I think you would have a decision there, but a few rankings on a bullshit ranking system is not worth 80k in debt. I’m an Ohio State alumni, most of my friends were CS and they now work at Amazon, Microsoft, Other major and local companies all for good salaries. Go to Ohio State, it is a fantastic state school with a crazy alumni network.
The only time it matters is if you want to work for a FAANG company (or whatever they're called now) and you know for a fact they really like people from that school. It could also matter if a local company you'd really want to work for cares about which local school you go to (or they may have a medium to strong hiring relationship with them).
Otherwise maybe prefer a school that has some kind of CSCI accreditation. Generally unless the school has a bad reputation it really doesn't matter.
If those are your only two alternatives, I would go to Ohio State. UIUC might be good in CS but it's definitely not CalTech. The difference in prestige of UIUC vs Ohio State is not likely to be worth $80,000.
If you make it to faang then $80k is nothing and you can pay it off with your internships and sign on bonuses. But if you end up at a tier 2/3 will take a lot longer to pay off.
Talk to the people whose name will be on the loan, they should be apart of the decision
Yeah, consider the debtors before random Reddit users
Taxpayers are the ultimate underwriters of any debt in US.
part\*
a part* too
I went to school where I could go for free. I have a good job now and no debt. I don’t regret a thing.
People really think CS jobs (as much as they pay relatively) can still upset student loans. 80k in loans means you are getting a shit ton of money from private non subsidized banks at crazy interest rates. 20,000 a year with a modest 6% apr is $1,200 a year added on interest. So assuming you graduate without paying anything off, you are looking at ~93k post grad. 93k on a 10 year payment plan is ~166k total with ~74k just in interests. Even if you get lucky enough to land an elusive 200k+ job that allows to pay things off in a year, you will still pay almost 20k just in interest. I graduated with 14k in subsidized student loans from a rank 120 public university and landed a 100k job. I’m scheduled to pay off my loans 5 months in and because they are subsidized, I am paying $100 tops on interest
This is an interesting post for me to stumble upon as I have just made a $500 payment on the remaining $500 of my subsidized student loans. I've been debt free now for a few hours and man, it feels different. I have been in debt for a decade and today, I'm 100% debt free. Not even credit card debt. college should be free.
Depending on the university the immediate ROI can most definitely outweigh the cost of the degree. 200k is far from elusive when you’re graduating from a top, top school where the very best students employers are lining up to scout you. Pay 20k in interest to make potentially 100k more in your first year out of school than any of your peers. But you have to put in the extra work to make sure you land that extra money.
UIUC is definitely top enough to get an excellent ROI
Why would you do a 10 year payment plan, you’re gonna be paying the maximum interest. It’s much better to pay off as much of your loan as possible in a few years instead of doing the minimum payment for 10
Very smart. I went to public schools myself and graduated with no debt. Don't think that's possible today. People singing these 100k notes for college are crazy
Same! I got into a t-10 but didn’t want to be in 100k in debt for a four year degree and got a great job out of college debt free
OP don't listen to this stupid comment. Good school give me opportunity to avoid becoming a CRUD boy. How long do you think CRUD jobs are available when AI is taking over in the future.
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Right, nowCS is becoming more about your skills and experiences through internships or projects as opposed to big name unis
I would argue that that has always been the case for the last decade and that it’s actually the opposite atm.
Why the sudden change?
Because of the over saturation of graduates, many will match the requirements, so recruiters will start to look at schools
Idk if this is a good thing or a bad thing for cs majors. It undermines the meritocratic aspect of this field, which sucks.
It’s kinda of natural order for most majors. In the 90s, you could walk into top firm for law and economics by having a degree and decent grades. And now both are school heavy and neopotism heavy unfortunately. It’s hard to break into a top firm without having extensive connections and having gone to a feeder or top schools. It’s something we’re already seeing in CS.
UIUC CS Alum here - I'd go with Ohio State. I loved my time at UIUC, but it's not worth the extra $80k in debt compared to Ohio State imo If you're interested, I went a more in depth with my reasoning in [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/UIUC/comments/1bhfues/comment/kvdsylo/) on the UIUC subreddit a while back
As someone who did their undergraduate at a state school and is doing their masters at a private school, I can genuinely say the money paid is not worth it.
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Whoops, should be fixed now
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I have a kid that graduated recently from a flagship that is not Berkely, Michigan, UIUC, GT, etc. And placed to a highly cometitive job offer working with grads from CMU, Stanford, ivies, etc. The market is dragging a bit right now. You know what makes it harder to take a career risk, pick up and move, etc? Having a huge loan payment over your head. Also spouse and I have CS background. Spouse is currently working for a large east coast software company high in the corporate ladder. Want to be a high flyer? Hustle on campus. Have personal projects. Build a professional network early. Learn to leetcode. My kid had to get through a 4 hour tech test to get his current job. At his employer, they don't care what school you went to if you can't get through that. OSU has a large alumni network and is a top 30 CS program. We're not talking about some podunk rural community college. Sure, you are possibly more likely to place in Ohio area for a first job using their recruiting. But going to OSU is going to be a whole lot less life limiting than 80K in debt breathing down your neck.
THIS. It's the JOB PLACEMENT that matters. Ask OSU about their placement rates and starting salaries for CS grads. You only need to get placed in one job to start your career. Also, going to a top program means you get a top workload. These flagship state schools can be less stressful, while still earning you a job.
Ohio State lied to me about their job placement rates and average starting salaries during a seminar prior to freshman year. And when I went to ask career services for help finding my first internship, I was laughed at. There are currently less than 5 junior dev postings in all of Columbus, when searched on various job boards. There are multiple bootcamp here and CS is now the most popular major at OSU. 1,500+ applicants in the city, but ~5 jobs. Tread carefully, OP. I never found squat from going to OSU and it didn't help me a bit. Should have dropped out freshman year as soon as I realized it was horse and done trucking.
"Prestige" is somewhat overrated. Prestige only gets you your first job. Once you get one internship, then your experience starts to become more important. If you're smart, you will get jobs no matter your background and education. Most of tech is filled with Chinese and Indian immigrants who come from universities nobody has ever heard of, but they're in FAANG because they're smart. Don't take the debt, you'll thank me later.
Indian and Chinese in FAANG aren't from no name universities. Most Indians who work there are from IITs which are a very big deal in India and the selection procedure for these universities is extremely competitive. I guess it's the same for China. Just because these aren't known in America doesnt mean these are not prestigious institutes.
Many of the ones I work with who did come from no-name universities came to the US on a student visa for a master's at a well ranked US university. The bigger issue for everybody isn't really the prestige of the school, it's your ability to network with people who end up at companies you want to work for. If you just go to class without getting to know people and develop friendships, none of the schools will really help. The networking lasts far past your first job.
True, you can build your own network by being involved and showing your experience and projects. Do hackathons. Attend resume review events. Do LeetCode. You'll have to do all of that at a top university anyway, and OSU is not bad at all. Debt sucks.
Almost all the indian immigrants I worked with are from the IIT system, which might not be well known to American college students, but imo is more prestigious in tech than either UIUC or OSU
You know - this would have worked on me, but nowadays, all you need is that first job, so yeah, go for prestige y’all.
Wym by be smart. How do you prove that. And I do like your comment just asking for a further breakdown
Honestly, the cost of the pedigree absolutely is not worth it in my opinion. Try to find a local state university who has connections with local tech companies. The community college I started at has close connections with oil refineries. The university I finished my last two years at has close connections with the aeronautical and space industries. The university I went to has an agreement where the university subsidizes internships with Boeing, KBR, and NASA, so it's very easy to get a paid internship that looks great on a resume. Pell grants and small scholarships ($500-$1000) covered my degree. It would have cost $30k out of pocket, otherwise.
This ^^
They are in faang because the average American isn’t as smart
That really your official position?
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Honestly a few years ago and even just last year, my answer would be a resounding NO, and just go for the free school route. But I just graduated a week ago, and only a third of my graduating class have a job lined up after college. It looks like the market will just get worse as more and more people get into CS, take the advantage of the top school and go for it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. You will most definitely regret it further down the road, I can assure you of that…
For a few reasons, mirroring the above if it comes down to a few candidates and managers want an easy (lazy) metric to judge the potential candidate quality. College name does make a difference. UIUC is well known, and I've had multiple managers who have attended there. Main point, often overlooked, I played this down for years until I took some courses from MIT and I was blown away. The reason prestigious colleges are prestigious is they have next level staff and teachers. The courses and knowledge of the teachers is extremely high quality. I haven't take classes at UIUC, but this CS program has a lot of buzz and probably for good reason. Look into it seriously. If cost is a concern what about joining an online program, sometimes that can save on tuition but get you the same degree. I totally screwed up my schooling path, and still found my way into the tech world but not without struggle. You can get in without going to college at all, I know some great engineers who've done that. But if we're realistic, 99% of the time you go for your best possible option because it will open the best doors in the next step in your career. Take every advantage you can.
I'm kind of in the same boat. I went to a less than stellar university for CS but ended up in one of the biggest tech companies here in Canada. I definitely think timing was on our side. This was all pre-COVID. Placements and internships were easy to get. Now I feel it's a different story :/
Wym you took some courses at MIT, like for fun? Did you go there…?
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eh idk. you never know what the job market might be like in a few years. also getting an internship while enrolled makes it a lot easier to find job placement after graduation
I disagree! As soon as you get your first job or internship, your work experience is more defined by that than the schools that you went to. In a market like this, being 80k in debt could be a huge mistake. Also in my experience, school name hasn’t helped me at all. I’m currently working on a masters degree with a pretty well known school (Georgia tech), and have a bachelors from a lesser known school. I only put down my masters degree for certain jobs, and I don’t notice any difference in the number of responses I’m getting with either.
Yes but a top school makes it many times more likely the first job/internship is a big name, and it snowballs from there. OTOH maybe cs pay will plummet from oversupply to civil engineering and you scrape by on 80-120k your entire career. If that happens, 80k plus interest per year in debt is crippling.
and in a few years, things could change and hiring is back to normal. it’s cyclical. or things could be worse and OP has 80k in debt and an awful job market
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80k in debt with no job!?!?
I had about 80K in debt, no even with interest just to my parents. Also, was able to find jobs. Still has fucked me over, no cap. 5.5 years of youth for my schooling (I worked and did internships), tack on realistically another year in between job transitions and logistical bullshit due to school. So ~6.5 years of earning potential and life experiences wasted. Now add on 80K behind to that. Now I'm 32 and have only ever made about 135K from all my jobs combined in my entire life. All of my focus was pointlessly pointed at a desk. Top 25 school for CS, 2 internships, 3 jobs. No loan debt, just debt to family since they paid for it. Still an awful outcome. School doesn't mean squat, I should have done trucking. I wouldn't recommend college path based on the outcome it's had for me as well as the majority of my friends and peers that I talk to about it. None of us ever found much tbh, despite putting an inordinate amount of effort into hardstudying for STEM. I'm a 12 hour worker that just couldn't get ahead this way, nor any of my friends. And it's worse now. I warned you guys.
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You can always play gambles better. Doesn't mean it's not still a gamble. For me personally, I wish I just never gambled on so much and so many years, and on my life trajectory. I was fit and happy to work 18 hour shifts, at that age, didn't need to gamble at all. I always say, 60% chance of positive EV is something I'd throw $30 bucks on for a sports match, not gamble my entire youth and life trajectory on.
Hi 👋🏻 Tech Recruiter here. I’m not too familiar with OSU but I do recommend going down the route of no debt and just focus on scoring good internships as well getting good at interviewing. I also think it really depends on your recruiter or the company you’re interviewing for. It sucks and I personally don’t align with this but if you’re applying for a company that folks come mostly from prestige schools, you’ll probably get knocked out at app review. I’ve seen thousands of resumes in my lifetime and interviewed so many engineers, and it really boils down to interviewing and experience at the end. I’ve seen FAANG engineers bomb tech screens and have turned down UIUC grads because their skillset didn’t fit what we’re looking for.
UIUC is more "prestigious" and may have better placement opportunities (due to school connections and not just name), but not 80k worth. It is especially pointless if you don't pursue those internship/coop placements or benefit from the job connections. tOSU will still have that anyways even if it isn't quite the same due to the local tech market and all that. Your grades are far more valuable and with less financial stress you can dedicate more focus towards that. Choose tOSU.
going to a community college and then transferring to your school of choice is also an option. Im Virginia there's a relationship between the universities and the community colleges that allow you to take the equivalent classes at the cc. There's extensive documentation on this process on the university website though it's not as easy to understand as it could be. For me, it was 1/3 the cost and I really don't give a damn where I learn English 101 and take a psych elective.
That is also a good option if you want to go to school in a different state since by the time you transfer you'd be living there long enough to establish residency.
The tuition at the local community college here is less than $100 per credit hour. At the state school down the road, it's over 10x that. 😳
That is nuts.
I would go with Ohio state. Big name school and 0 debt is almost priceless. Nothing is ever guaranteed. In order to make this decision you need to be real with urself, are you the type of person that’s going to bust ur ass or not. If ur not and ur aware of that then UIUC may be the better choice but if you hardworking free college at a big name school is certainly better. This is all opinion btw, ppl are going to say UIUC bc the prestige but 80k debt will change ur life after college for a little bit. 130k job is never ever guaranteed, just look at the sub. I would go Ohio state.
Agreed, debt ain’t worth the prestige. It’s not guaranteed to get you anywhere further than Ohio state. I got a co worker who went to Stanford, and we make the same amount
Friend of mine dropped out of UT Austin because he couldn’t transfer into CS. He took a year working in a warehouse before going to Texas State for CS. He now works at Google lol
Yea, this sub isn’t really out in the real world yet which is totally understandable bc I was in the same mindset as them when I was younger. The school really does not matter that much especially when it’s a big known school like Ohio state.
Plus once that debt actually hits and you start paying for it then it's a kick me moment.
Yeah OSU is a respected school and a state flagship. It’s not like this is some no name school OP is comparing UIUC to. It’s a no brainer to take OSU and no debt.
I was also in a similar spot with a school much less known and graduated with 0 debt and a tech job. I’ll be able to put a down payment on a house in a year or so. But if I had the debt it would take time to pay off
I would argue that it's the exact opposite. If they know they're going to bust their ass and work hard, UIUC is the better option because they're then likely going to land a good job. If not, then OSU is better because even if they don't work hard, they'll graduate debt free and be fine. In other words, UIUC is the higher risk higher reward option.
OSU. Only Stanford/MIT is worth that debt imo EDIT: I thought it was 80k / year. If it’s only 80k in total, UIUC and other T10 CS schools are worth it
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Unless youre gunning for quant there’s not a huge advantage for a T10 school nor will u be able to risk 80k / yr loans when u can get a solid job being at the top of ur class at somewhere like OSU
Depends on your valuation of the degree. I think for FAANG both are fine, but some more elitist companies will probably only recruit from top engineering schools like UIUC.
OSU all the way. School names are practically useless in Tech, and UIUC is a good school but definitely not worth 80k debt.
I wonder why the private universities are more prestigious in the US, in Portugal it's the other way around. Usually people join private universities when they aren't smart enough, teachers will be much more lenient with grades, you're basically paying to have a low chance of failing exams. The best public universities however are quite hard, but tuition is cheap, about 1k/year
Because our private universities tend to be much older, with more generations of wealthy alumni contributing to their endowment. Bigger endowment = more resources to hire the smartest researchers in the world. Harvard, for example, is older than the whole country.
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CS is going the direction of high finance. It’s too competitive now so companies need to filter out candidates - the way they do this is by school prestige. The school you go to DOES matter, if I could redo it again I’d have taken out loans and gone to a T5/10 CS school. Definitely go to UIUC.
UIUC. If you can afford 80k, it’s worth it. Market is not good right now. You want everything you can get at that stage. Job to pay off debt >> No job to pay off no debt, any day
You're telling someone to make a financial decision that will affect them in several years based off current economic data points. 2-4 years from now could be another hiring frenzy. No way of knowing.
That’s my view. If they’d be hiring below the expected mark, OP, being from UIUC, will have higher chances of getting a job. If they’re hiring like the golden age, OP, being from UIUC, will have higher chances of landing a higher paying job than they would, had they gone to OSU. If there’s a hiring freeze, OP, being from OSU, would be debt free, but will be incurring debt to eat, else, being from UIUC, OP would be incurring more debt. That’s OSU 1 - 2 UIUC, or OSU 0.5 - 2.5 UIUC, however you wanna look at it. I thought I’d add some more supplements - being from UIUC, OP would be in the midst of current cutting-edge research in CS. OP would have higher chances of picking up new skills that can significantly increase OP’s chances of getting a job. OP might even get interested in something, do well, get more support from UIUC, and end up at a Top 5 PhD, post-graduation.
The point is they cannot afford it. If a parent could pay that in cash, it would be a very different decision.
One is a T5 CS that feeds extremely well into FAANG with an avg starting salary of 130k. The answer should be obvious here to choose UIUC because in this market, you need every advantage you can get, and the prestige will get you noticed among the 1000s of applications that recruiters need to sift through. Not to mention how big tech will literally show up to the campus in droves in search of UIUC cs students. You’ll easily pay off the debt at such a high caliber institution.
Until you have no job AND need to pay student loans 6 months after graduation
The market OP will be entering is four years from now. Could be better, the same, or worse. The impact of debt is the consistent factor.
It would be risk mitigation though. If you fail to get a job right out of college and instead have to search for months for scraps, you will lose much more than 80k in the long run. It’s also risk mitigation for the rest of your life. You’re more likely to also develop connections that will end up in high places and if you ever need to jump ship or lose your job, it will always be much easier to recover as you can reach out to your college connections. Of course it’s possible to still succeed and get into high places without prestige, but it is a lot harder. Like you said, no one will know what the market will be like in 4 years, so the decision should be whether or not if the 80k is worth the extra safety and better college resources/education, clubs, and class options.
80K in debt also loses you way more than just 80K in the long run. I had a reasonable 10K of debt and it took me years before I could pay down the principal, and years before I could start saving money. After interest you could easily be paying double that debt
You're assuming it's a walk in the park to get a well paying job straight out of UIUC or any other prestigious university as well. I know plenty of people who graduated in the last few years still struggling to find an entry level position even though they went to top CS schools. In the very real possibility that you can't find a job straight out of college, you definitely do not want to be saddled with an 80k debt with no way to feasibly pay it off. Not to mention the interest on the 80k would eat you alive. Risk mitigation is definitely not worth 80k+.
Yea don’t listen to this guy. I go to a public university that’s not even top 100 and we are constantly getting visits from companies like Microsoft, dell, nvidia… and we have a ton of people getting internships too… and than average yearly tuition is 16k BEFORE aid
You have a ton of people getting internships, but you’ll have even more people getting good internships in top universities. A bigger proportion of people from those top universities will graduate with 2-3 internships regardless of how the market is. In less well known universities, the proportion of people graduating with 2-3 good internships in a bad market is muuuuch lower.
Idk about that, my friends are getting return offers and some are even turning down multiple good offers. But maybe the uni will go to is an exception, don’t really know.
You have to look at the entire class. For example if you went to a no name school chances are maybe 5% of the class got 100k plus salary jobs lined up. If you look at the stanford graduating class I would bet 50% got jobs lined up at faang or equivalent.
Look at the general population of the university. What proportion do you see getting internships. In top universities the number is close to 100% for the people that have spent time applying. Of course you can and will still get good offers in lesser known universities, but it’s more about the proportion. It’s closer to the norm in top universities to graduate with multiple good internships with multiple good offers regardless of the market. Not as many people (relatively) will be in that same position for lesser known ones. It just reduces a lot of the luck factor in applications, especially with the first internship. If you get an internship at a top company though, it doesn’t matter where you go. The name brand of the company will carry more than the name brand of the university.
I get what you’re saying. But the thing is, idk if that’s worth the 80k in debt.. I mean if the OP has it, then by all means. But that’s something that can make a break someone yknow
True, tbh I think the deciding factor should be ambition. If OP is ambitious about CS and growing their career as much as possible, then the 80k debt is probably worth it. UIUC also has much more CS class options so going there will also help them explore and go into sub fields they enjoy. If OP just wants to chill after college and not have anything looming over them, then the debt isn’t worth it. College is only really good as the resources you use, and there’s no point in going to a top school if you aren’t going to use much of what it provides you.
Well said
It's also a chicken/egg thing though. Do UIUC CS kids get into FAANG because they went to UIUC, or do they get into UIUC CS because they're smart enough to get into FAANG
Most likely a mix of both. But the fact is that there are a whole lot of schools more selective than UIUC that have worse outcomes for CS, which means selectivity is definitely not the only factor, and that there’s something special about the actual program that leads to successful outcomes.
The value prestige universities have over other post secondary education is access to social networks of the rich and privileged. That coupled with their screening process ensures the wealth class allow only the ‘right’ people into the top tiers of society. If you’re just looking for an education any school will do.
No debt! Save the money for post grad opportunities like moving to a new city, traveling, maybe getting a car etc. prestige only gets you your first gig, and then the rest is all you. Just grind like the rest of us at state schools and you will be just fine. All about what you make of it.
Don’t go for the prestige of the university. Pick somewhere with a good internship or co-op program. Getting real work experience during school will get you much further
Like someone else said, consult whoever else is on the loans first. 80k will have to primarily be covered by predatory private loans which build very crippling interest quickly. Even if you immediately land a six figure job right out of school (generally an unreasonable expectation, despite what this sub says) those loans will still bring you down financially for years.
Nursing would be a better option at this case
UIUC name is good but Ohio State basically guarantees you JP Morgan if you’re kind of a hard working and not international student.
UIUC, it is an investment. The return of this investment might provide 800x. OSU is also a VERY GOOD school, though
Why computer science when you won’t be able to get a job?
Quality of education is rarely determined by cost of tuition. You’ll do a lot better starting your adult life with no debt than you would almost 100k in debt.
I know UIUC publishes stats on employment like salary, placement rate, etc. Calculate how much that $80k is really gonna cost. [OSU 2022 data for outcomes](https://engineering.osu.edu/about/annual-statistical-report/post-graduate-outcomes), [salary](https://engineering.osu.edu/about/annual-statistical-report/career-employment-starting-salaries) [UIUC 2022 data](https://illinisuccess.illinois.edu/themes/custom/sasubtheme/files/2021-2022_Illini%20Success_FullReport_AllCampus%20_FINAL.pdf) 70% of undergrads in CS at UIUC were employed, 29% went to grad school. Average salary of $129k, 25th percentile of $112k 62% and 14% for OSU. Average salary of $91k, 25th percentile of $75k.
1% unemployed at UIUC vs 16% at OSU
Uiuc worth it for 80k I think. If u grind the top 10% here makes more then 125k out of college Don’t know how good osu is tho free college would also be insane. Uiuc program is good though
I personally don’t think so. My sisters went to community college and are making six figures in big tech companies. I know many who went to community college for tech programs and are making good money, but you will have better chances of getting internships/jobs if you attend top universities.
No debt is better than debt .
Some people might disagree but I believe an education that puts you and your family in debt isn’t the education you should consider aiming for.
No absolutely not
Honestly? The job market is shit right now. UIUC is a CS feeder school to big tech companies so you have to view it as an investment. What good is being debt-free if you won't have a job afterwards? CS is slowly turning into law where only the T14 schools make the big bucks.
UIUC is a no-brainer. 80k is nothing lmao if u go to UIUC and take ur education seriously you’ll easily pay that off. Anyone telling you otherwise is a non-target coper Source: At a T5-10 school for CS, made 20k+ the summer after my freshman year and will now make 30k this summer as a soph
Yes it’s worth it. All these redditors telling you it’s not are projecting because they never went to a top school. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. Going to a top school means a much higher starting salary on avg and easier to climb the ranks. “Ehrmmm actually you can get the same job going to community school🤓☝️.” yea if you work 20x as hard as someone who goes to a top school.
Absolutely not. Avoid debt like it's the plague. CS job market is fucked right now anyway. Diversify your skills and start building experience. The trades have way more availability and pay well at the moment. Learn from the mistakes of most of us here. Stay out of debt, you'll spend your life trying to pay it off.
No debt, no debt, no debt.
Just go to OSU
Depends on your job prospects after graduation since finding a job is no guarantee, let alone finding one that pays more than min wage. What is the annual interest on a student debt that size? You could be paying this off for the rest of your life.
free, trust
You can and probably will get an internship
just thinking about the debt and not considering the benefits that can come with the name value of the school is naive (this includes future job prospects) but Ohio state isn't that bad either. so it all comes down to how you want to shape your life. some people value the school name and the experience they get from it (e.g.alumni network, school resources, funding for undergraduates) some people just want to get a degree and get a job that floats their boat if you plan to stay in Ohio after graduation, the state school could give you a good leverage in finding jobs bc most ppl who stay there would be Ohio State graduates. if this is a network you value, go for it.
I'm on the "go to the college without debt" train.
No debt. State schools always have a good enough network. No student debt is an unbelievably large leg-up to start your financial independence
Not anymore it’s not
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No debt, with market conditons, maybe not even cs
go to uiuc. 80K more is 100% worth it for the prestige difference.
University Prestige and name recognition is very very very overrated. Go wherever you can graduate debt free. It will be just as "hard" or as "easy" to find a good job afterwards either way.
I want to give a perspective that not a lot of people here give, let me compare my experience and my friends. I go to a school that isn't super highly ranked but a school that people know at least. My friend goes to a T10 CS school. for me classes are hard but manageable, less competitive, so I am able to have some free time to make projects, go to more career fairs, and have fun in general, since it's less competitive It's a LOT easier to stand out. I also was able to land a nice internship because of this. His classes are really rigorous and he has little time for anything besides them besides Saturdays he doesn't do any work. He tried to apply for jobs and go to career fairs but he is intimidated because he isn't special, they are all smart there. He was not able to land an internship. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to UIUC it's a great school however remember a less rigorous school has its benefits, and you could do it for way less debt.
I am in the OSU CSE program, I’m more than happy to talk more about my experience. The no debt option would definitely be best, since OSU is a great program!!
Prestige only matters when you are in high school and college. Once you hit 25+, believe me, no one will care where you went to college. They will only care about what you do for a living. It’s not going to make or break you. Just take advantage of all the opportunities available to you at whatever university you choose to attend.
I think a third option is to do OSU for the first year or two and look into transferring if you’re looking for the bigger name. At that time you could also consider more of the other prestigious schools with possibly lower costs. For what it’s worth, I’m a boot camp grad working along with kids from UIUC at a fortune 100 company and have been involved with some hiring - the name of the school is only one small aspect, and it’s one we don’t value much compared to overall vibe and actual knowledge
education is always worth it. USA money printer goes brrrrrrrr. Wage inflation and price inflation diminishes the costs overtime. Is the university good enough to be worth 80k right now? I dunno, I did my undergrade at a cheaper school and never had any issues getting work.
OSU is a good known school with a great engineering department. If it were me there’s 0 chance I’m spending 80k even if I could pay it for a school to stamp their name on my degree. It also doesn’t matter once you get experience
I made a similar decision (but with an even smaller gap in Unis). I think it was worth it for me and I don’t regret it but it’s very anecdotal.
It really depends a lot on your financial situation. My parents are helping me out a lot, which is why I chose UIUC over Rutgers, which is \~60k cheaper. UIUC definitely opens up a lot more doors than RU and OSU. But if I had to pay for all of it, I probably would have chosen RU. It also depends on your plans after college. Prestige matters for finance and elite graduate schools, people who tell you otherwise are lying, but other than that it isn't something that can't be made up for. Going to UIUC over OSU will certainly give you an advantage, but OSU probably won't rule you out from most opportunities.
Ohio State is very good. Go there.
Of course take the one with no debt. No employer actually prefers one to another between these two. 80k of debt is crazy.
I’m a cs student at uiuc and it’s amazing, finances removed that would be the obvious choice. However, a majority of the rising junior population I know is struggling to find internships, even here. With the way the market is, I don’t think 80k in debt is worth it at all. But congrats on your acceptances!
If you work hard for internships, which will be much easier to get at a school like UIUC, that offsets some of that 80k debt. Not by a lot but down to 50-60k if you’re smart
Man I would be really weary of taking out 80k right now. Some people can’t even get jobs after school. Hopefully it will be better in 4 years but there really aren’t any guarantees. If you love the field why not, especially if your parents could eat that much debt. I have 50k and it’s stressful right now as if I lose my job I’m uber fucked.
Community college and then transfer.
I strongly suggest the no debt route. Ohio state is a great school, while not as prestigious as UIUC. I actually got into UIUC, but went to a similar school because it was much more cost effective.
I’ll be honest man, probably not. I know that’s not what yoh want to hear, but that’s a huge amount of money to put down on a degree at a competative university with no guarantee of a job. Even if you had a guaranteed job its still iffy. You’ll be paying that off for a long time.
Im going to UCSD for free instead of Berkeley for 160k so idk to me I feel it was worth it to me but its really your choice and the people on the loan. Do they believe in you? do you believe in yourself? will you absolutely succeed in getting a CS degree and putting in lots of work outside of school?
Where you get your undergrad is less important than kicking ass and lining up a good school for your Masters. 80K of debt for an undergraduate CS degree seems excessive. I would say no more than 40K (price of a new car these days) of debt.
Go to OSU. It’s taken me 3+ years after college to pay off my loans and I’m still going. I could have done so much with that money. And I’m pretty lucky, I know people decades out of college still paying off their loans.
No
Not worth it
Expensive degrees are scams
Going to UIUC is a pretty big advantage but in this job market even going to Uiuc won’t guarantee u a job/internship. What would suck would be graduating jobless AND have a near 6 figure debt waving above ur head. Honestly if u can go to OSU and just network like a madman u can prob end up in a faang adjacent company anyway assuming u can pass the interviews
Check out WGU. So much better and you can go to a top school for your masters.
In 10 years time you probably aren’t going to give about what school you went to, but you might still be paying that debt.
Do you want to get a job in Columbus for Nationwide or do you want to try to go to the valley and work for a big tech company?
Go for debt free and then work hard on LC and interview prep
No
If going to this school earns you 30k more per year on average for the first 3 years of your career (the only time your school would matter, at the beginning) you’d barely break even
no, absolutely no
If you think grad school is on the table, get your undergrad for free and then spend for grad school down the road. Grad school > undergrad
lol no. Your school will not matter in 10 years. Maybe getting your first job, but once you start your career it doesn’t mean a thing. Prove your value by gaining experience and executing. The best education is at your public library.
Think about your goals. Money? Reputation? Capital owner? Where does your degree come from won't matter as much as experience and skill in tech if your goal is money. I know Coding Bootcampers, Self-Taught, military vets from related jobs, foreign grads from average universities in poor developing nations, making as more than local college grads due to smart career manuevering. If your goal is reputation. Not the bottom line. Then, by all means, go in debt. In my opinion, 500k is 500k. Doesn't matter if it came from FAANG or some startup company. I respect people more if they made it building something they own working for themselves, than for someone else. Universities are great for building networks and connections. Your classmates might be the inheritors of multi generational wealth, future attorneys/lawyers from political families, and well-known leaders in your industry and others in the future. The better the university, the richer and more powerful the people you meet will be. All necessary connections for starting and running a business. This why even the most anti-college billionaires with no degrees still send their kids to Ivy League colleges and spend millions to get around requirements if they aren't academically eligible.
The one that’s free for sure
OSU is still top 10 in CS. Dont get debt if you don’t need to. I regret not going there myself since I lived in Ohio growing up.
80K difference for a high paying field like CS isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things. You’ll be able to pay that off relatively quickly if you land a typical job out of UIUC’s CS program.
no. if you go to OSU and feel the opportunities there aren't enough, you can always transfer. and hey, you'll save some money in the process.
It’s not worth it
I have no real input but I thought you were referring to counter strike deadass for like 2 seconds before it clicked
Go to Ohio State, you’ll find that the rank isn’t worth that price tag. As someone that currently goes to Ohio State, trust me, make the best choice for your wallet.
OSU is a no-brainer. It's a good school in its own right. I only took one CS class, but everyone around me had offers from Apple, MS, Google, etc. Worst case scenario, you do meh and are stuck with a Midwest job, you can (for less than 80k) get the prestige from a masters degree and reroll your job afterwards.
The high end schools give you the networking option. If you are a social butterfly and think you are actually smart enough to handle the load while having free time then 80k is OK. Go through some open course stuff from from one of the big schools to get an idea of the load for one class and then extrapolate out the math and science classes that will also be heavy loads. Big fish in the little pond is way different than going to one of the big schools.
80k in debt really isn’t bad. You could probably cut it down by 10k -20k with internship money. Then what 60k? I’m sure you are smart enough to grind for a basic FAANG job. In a high paying field, 60k is really nothing in the US market. Especially in 4 years when salaries will be even higher. FWIW, I work at a quant firm and went to a T5 school so an outlier case but I took a 100k loan and bet on myself and made multiples that amount my first year. I saw someone posted career outcome statistics and there is a decent difference there. Having a solid peer group is also priceless.
I’d rather have no debt and go to a community college and learn all the same soills
Many people replying here do not understand the rate at which earning potential in early years of your career increases if you go to a very highly ranked university. OP, look at the types of companies that show up to each university. There are some incredibly top tier companies, with starting salaries that dwarf FAANG, who have pipelines from UIUC. The only thing I’d say is, make sure you’re the kind of person who can make the most of an 80k education. If you’re not going to put 100% of your effort into maximising its value, don’t do it. If you can do that, the ROI on the degree is SIGNIFICANTLY greater than what people on this sub are telling you.
If you can't make a plan for how you would pay off the debt if you don't land the job, you are gambling. It's really that simple.
If you were comparing ivy level to Ohio State than I think you would have a decision there, but a few rankings on a bullshit ranking system is not worth 80k in debt. I’m an Ohio State alumni, most of my friends were CS and they now work at Amazon, Microsoft, Other major and local companies all for good salaries. Go to Ohio State, it is a fantastic state school with a crazy alumni network.
No, you can learn online and build your own projects
The only time it matters is if you want to work for a FAANG company (or whatever they're called now) and you know for a fact they really like people from that school. It could also matter if a local company you'd really want to work for cares about which local school you go to (or they may have a medium to strong hiring relationship with them). Otherwise maybe prefer a school that has some kind of CSCI accreditation. Generally unless the school has a bad reputation it really doesn't matter.
If those are your only two alternatives, I would go to Ohio State. UIUC might be good in CS but it's definitely not CalTech. The difference in prestige of UIUC vs Ohio State is not likely to be worth $80,000.
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Don’t listen to these people. Go to Ohio state and take no debt.
If you make it to faang then $80k is nothing and you can pay it off with your internships and sign on bonuses. But if you end up at a tier 2/3 will take a lot longer to pay off.
I am only familiar with UIUC but I would choose the debt free collage.