Does it matter where I go to college?

This is a very difficult question to answer but I would have to say that graduating from well-known universities will help your career. For example, if you want to work in Texas then try to go to U. of Texas or Texas A&M.  If in other states, then try to go to universities with the best reputation/ranking in engineering.  One option to reduce cost (and also get better education, in my opinion) is to go to community colleges associated with the big universities for the first 2 years to take all the basic classes first then transfer into those universities in the last two years.  Major companies mostly recruit from well-known universities and not from small colleges even if those colleges are well-know and reputable.

When looking for a school to study engineering, one of the main things I prioritized is that it was ABET accredited. ABET is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and they accredit college and university programs in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. ABET accreditation adds value to your engineering degree, because it signals that the university or college program has met a set of global standards for technical education.

The second major consideration for me was cost. I wanted to ensure it was something that I could reasonably afford and minimize the debt I was going to take on. I also evaluated job placement rates to understand how successful graduates were in getting hired upon graduation. Many universities have strong networks with companies that recruit from their schools, so it is a good idea to ask about career fairs and other career services the school provides in this area. Finally, and this is likely most critical for graduate studies, it is important to understand the research being conducted by the professors at the school you are considering attending. If you want to work in an area of space vehicle design, but the university you are considering doesn’t have anyone working in that area, it may not be the best choice for your research goals.

Long story short – I attended an in-state school (West Virginia University) that had a strong, ABET-accredited engineering program. I studied hard and leveraged programs that were available to me (e.g., the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium) to participate in undergraduate research and internships. I was selected for the same internships as my colleagues from Ivy League Schools and other extremely impressive universities. The same holds true in my professional career. What was/is most important is that each of us brings diverse perspectives and ways of thinking to our projects and we work together as part of a cohesive team to design something impactful. We are a team.

In my experience, how you take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you is more important than what college you go to!

I did not go to prestigious schools and have still done okay because I worked hard, showed up, and recognized when opportunities were presented and took advantage of them. Sometimes bigger schools have more opportunities and larger networks, which can be an advantage, but there are ways to grow and learn at any school, and smaller schools can sometimes offer more personalized experiences, which are good also!

In the end what matters is that no matter where you go, you do your best and use your resources to their full extent. When you are deciding on different schools or programs, I would advise weighing the pros and cons that matter to you personally, and try not to worry too much about what other people think. For example, if you are really interested in a particular project or subject at a given school, that can be a good reason to choose it over a big, world-renowned school.

It does matter that to be licensed as an engineer, you must go to an ABET accredited engineering program.

You might think about where you’d want to live after college, and attend a school nearby. If you feel stuck, unsatisfied, or change your mind later, graduate school is there.

I did my first two years at a community college. I made sure the credits would transfer to the university I wanted to attend—Missouri S&T. I saved a lot of money doing this.

When I look back on college, its interesting how the social obstacles I faced aren’t as memorable to me now. Instead, the biggest memory I have of it is how much I enjoyed studying geological engineering.

It matters where you go to college in some respects. Ranking is not the key differentiator. But – you do want to go to an ABET accredited degree program with a strong record of retention of students, and a very strong placement rate into jobs. This is information the colleges publish, and if they don’t that might be telling.

You also want to go to a school where you can be successful. If you are not someone who is highly competitive, then choose a more collaborative college or university. If you thrive in that competitive atmosphere, then choose that. If you want to have friends that are in a broad range of fields, go to a comprehensive university. If you really are happy hanging out with “geeks”, then there are schools that are more tech focused across their campuses.

Once in college, the most important thing is to engage in your classes, get good grades, join student clubs associated with your field, and take advantage of the many opportunities for doing undergraduate research, or finding internships. Too many students focus only on their classes and grades!

I personally think it depends on what type of engineering degree you want to get into and then what you want to do with it. For instance I’ve got a degree in architectural engineering and there are very few universities that offer that degree so for me it was about finding the correct university that had the degree I wanted.

I think you also should visit the schools and departments because in my opinion you need to see which university fits you and will give you the best opportunities to succeed. The final thing I’d look at is job placement and what each university has in terms of job placement and assisting you in finding a job out of school. So in my opinion it’s about finding the right university for you to help you achieve your goals.

If you plan to pursue your Professional Engineer License (especially important for civil and structural engineers), there are some things to keep in mind when looking at colleges.

First and foremost is ABET accreditation. Graduating from an accredited program (for engineering or architecture) is something that most employers look for on your resume, and provides the quickest path to professional licensure. In general, graduates from an ABET accredited program can apply for their PE (Professional engineer’s license) after 4 years.

There is also some difference between an engineering vs engineering technology degree. One is not particularly “better” than another, it all depends on what your goals are.

For unaccredited programs or engineering technology programs, some states require additional work experience, tests, etc., which can impact your career progression in disciplines that require licensure. However, employers recognize that everyone is going to pursue licensure at a different pace and through different routes. A good employer is willing to teach you and get you that work experience, and support you at whatever time you choose to take the exam and apply for licensure.

In some fields, like structural engineering, licensing is heavily encouraged. For civil engineers who do environmental or water engineering, it is not as important. And there are other roles that are often (but not always) filled by people with civil engineering degrees, that do not require a PE either. Things like construction management, facilities management (working for an owner with multiple buildings to plan maintenance, updates, new construction, etc.), construction inspection, etc. etc. etc. I can’t speak as much to the importance of licensure in other disciplines like mechanical, electrical, chemical, biomedical etc.

A few references with more information:

• Why ABET Accreditation Matters
• What is a Professional Engineer (PE) license?

For your first job, I think it matters. I got a AAS degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, then while working, got a Computer Science degree from a non-engineering school and my MBA. I started at a very good company as a technician and worked very hard. I was then able to get positions at two more companies, one a fortune 100 company, where I became a Vice President.

If you would have asked me if I could do that, after going to such unimpressive schools, I would have said no! The reason I share this story is to show that how you perform once you are working matters more than anything else before that. Going to a reputable engineering school gives you a kick start in the beginning, might make it easier to get your first position and will likely give you more confidence. I'd recommend it!

Going to a big-name university can open doors in the future, but it is most important that you have a good experience there. You may get lost at a big school, so finding a place where you will get special attention from your advisor can be more important – then your advisor can help you identify your next big step.

Also, it depends a lot on whether you would be happier to be a “small fish in a big pond” or a “big fish in a small pond”. If you go to a lesser known school, but are the top student there, you will be given many leadership opportunities. If you are an average student at a top school, you may find yourself lost in the crowd. I went to a tiny college that no one has heard of in Indiana. Then, I did a summer research program at Yale University after my junior year and was able to be accepted into graduate programs at top schools like Harvard and Stanford. At the small college, I managed the stock room in my final year – I never would have been given that level of responsibility if I’d gone to college at a big university!

This question is interesting as I think several decades ago, it really did matter which engineering school you attended relative to potential job opportunities. Today, I am not so sure this is a driving factor for employers. Rather, gaining practical, hands-on experience during your engineering studies has a much greater value to employers, especially when they are seeking technically-degreed employees.

Selecting an engineering program that provides the opportunity for co-op and/or internships in engineering is definitely viewed with great value by employers. Likewise, engineering programs which provide multiple opportunities for technical project work, technical professional society challenges, or any volunteer opportunities (e.g. First Robotics) where you can actually practice/apply engineering and other technical skills will gain more interested employers for your future job search.

Please keep in mind as well with the rapid evolution of technology, your formal engineering education is just the beginning. To remain relevant throughout your career, it is vital to invest in yourself continuously throughout your career to up level your technical skills and knowledge, whether through advanced engineering degrees or even focused technical seminars and professional certification programs.

The college or university that you decide to attend to study engineering depends on how you see yourself and your steps after college. For example, if you want to TEACH engineering, then you may want to target a university where many of the graduates go on to graduate school and then study and obtain a PhD to teach engineering. If you think you may want a BS in Engineering and then go to work immediately as an engineer, you may want to choose a university that specializes in preparing engineers for engineering practice, which is different than one that focuses more on engineering theory and graduate school preparation.

Many of the larger universities and larger engineering schools can do both. I recall that my department head called me into his office at the end of my junior year and said, “I will get you into any graduate school in the country if you will agree to come back to our university to teach.” I respectfully declined, because I did not want to get a PhD, as I needed to go to work to earn some money. I ended up receiving a very special one-year graduate scholarship to an overseas university, and they also asked me to stay and to get a PhD with them. Again, I declined, because I needed to go back to the USA to work due to my family’s financial situation.

The good news is that you do not have to make all of these decisions all at once! Take your time and do what is right for you and your family. Remember, too, that you can also change colleges without too many serious problems if you happen to have another idea! I changed from biomedical engineering to chemical engineering with a biomedical option in my second year of engineering, but I did not change universities. My best advice, “Just do what feels right to you!”

I think if you plan on going to graduate school then no it matters less where you went to undergrad. For engineering the main thing to look for is an ABET accredited program. That is huge. But MIT vs a state school matters less. Especially if you are going to graduate school which people typically don't pay for, they are funded through their professors or other grants to attend. Save the name school for graduate school.

Many world-renowned engineering schools seek outstanding candidates from other smaller schools for their graduate programs. Attending a smaller school as an undergraduate does not necessarily hinder your career if you excel and choose to pursue a graduate degree.

It depends on what you think you might want to do with your career, which is a difficult question to think about when you are in high school. However, if you ever think that you would like a career internationally and/or want to be versatile to be able to travel anywhere in the US and work for any company, then yes it will make a difference where you go to college. Further, if you think you want to specialize in a particular type of engineering, that too may determine where you may wish to go to college.

My experience is that internationally only a few of the schools in the United States have international reputations. While there are several, Purdue, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Cornell, and MIT all have huge international reputations and are highly respected. Other schools have reputations in certain types of engineering such as nuclear engineering, which is offered at Purdue, along with others, but is not offered at every engineering school.

Thus, you may wish to speak with your parents and/or sit down and ask yourself what you may wish to do in your career. If you are content staying where you grew up, or in your state or even content with a general engineering background (which will get you into just about anywhere you wish to be including non-engineering careers such as management consulting that often look for engineers as they are taught how to solve problems) then it probably does not matter as much where you go. In that case, you should look at a school that offers you what you enjoy the most and what will get you the most out of your college life, which may include sports, or location, or simply the curricula activities that the college offers.

Whatever your choice, know that an engineering degree will allow you to be a step ahead of anyone else given its foundation to allow you to do most anything. Most of all, you must enjoy what you do and 4 years at college is formative but also rewarding to make friends that will last a lifetime and will be a time that you will look back on and never forget.

My daughter decided at a young age that she wanted to pursue engineering as a career, and that she specifically wanted to attend Virginia Tech. That is somewhat of a tradition in my family (me, my sister, my father, various other family members...) and as a state university, was reasonably priced. It is also ranked in the top 30 engineering schools in the United States, and so its acceptance rate is highly competitive. For her it was a good choice, and she never regretted her choice versus a school such as Stanford or MIT. (However, I should note that out-of-state tuition is significantly higher than in-state.)

As for myself, I also chose Virginia Tech despite having a scholarship offer to MIT, and my education has served me very well. If you have a good in-state school that offers an engineering degree, I think that should be included among your top choices, particularly if you want to avoid the burden of student loan repayment upon graduation.

For undergraduates the college name is not a problem, it doesn't have to be known or famous. But if you go to graduate school, you need to pick a good college and this is what it will be seen in your career.