UCLA versus UT Austin or Texas A&M

[Sam]

I need help.

My son has been accepted to several universities, both private and public. Going through the list, he and I have no problems comparing one school from another based on cost, academic level, and enviroment.

We are stuck, though, when trying to weight UCLA versus UT or A&M. We are in Texas, so we pay resident tuition and fee for UT and A&M, about $8,500 annually. As a non-resident we'll have to pay $25,000 tuition and fee for UCLA, or roughly 3 times as much.

We have not received the final financial packages from any of the 3 schools. Let's discuss based on the assumption that there won't be any help (which is likely the case, since they all are public schools).

The question my son and I are wrestling with is: Is UCLA worth the extra $16,500 a year? My son knows that if he chooses UCLA, he will have to take a loan to help out, as the cost exceeds my allocated fund.

Edit to add: My son have not yet heard from UC Berkeley, should he get accepted there, he and I will go through this exercise again. So, please comment on Berkeley versus UT or A&M as well. Thanks.

Sam

 

[eridanus]

It depends on the department but they're pretty equivalent schools, academically.

Has your son checked out both campuses?

Is there a specific field in which your son is interested?

http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/nrc41indiv.html

 

[Sam]

Thank you eridanus. My son will be majoring in EE.

 

[Poundkey]

I agree that the the field of study would play at least a small part in the choice. My son went through a similar situation. We decided against out of state schools because of cost and the fact that none were better than what UT or A&M had to offer. The AE department at both were good, but A&M had the edge in that field. He toured both campuses and after the visit to A&M that pretty much sealed the deal. He fell in love with the tradition of A&M. My son in law also went there with an EE degree.

 

[bssc]

I have friends who went to both schools. I think that you need to take into account things like the setting Austin versus College Station and environments. UT seems a little more liberal than Texas A&M, at least 20 years ago.

 

[califdreamer]

Another consideration may be where he wants to live after graduation. All of the above mentioned are excellent schools with good reputations nationally. If he does have a strong preference for where he'd like to live (TX? Southwest? CA?) he may want to check with the placement department to see how strong the regional recruiting networks are at each school.

 

[RedHawk]

UT seems a little more liberal than Texas A&M

I think I remember someplace reading last year that A&M has the most conservative student body. Bush's Presidential Library is also located on A&M's campus.

 

[eridanus]

Right, would your son be a "2 percenter" at A&M or would he really enjoy the culture? A&M is a conservative school. The corps (ROTC) is a big part of campus life.

UT is obviously more urban, as is UCLA (which is perhaps too urban?).

Berkeley is the better school for EE. Is a top 5 school compared to a top 10 school worth an extra $16k+/yr? Probably not so much on the undergrad level.

 

[Sam]

http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/nrc41indiv.html

I just went through this report and noticed that it's 10 years old, and published by A&M. Is there a more recent report?

 

[REWahoo]

UT seems a little more liberal than Texas A&M, at least 20 years ago.

Burnt orange is actually a shade of blue and maroon is very red.

 

[SC]

If he is interested in a co-op (internship), you may also want to take into account how many opportunities there are in the nearby community. Austin is full of tech companies that hire co-ops from UT.

I went through the EE program in a town that didn't have many local opportunities, and many of my classmates moved 1000+ miles between work and school (6 months of each in our case) for their co-op assignments. However, they got some great work experience and the top job offers as a result.

I'd strongly encourage him to do a co-op no matter where he goes.

 

[Poundkey]

Sam, I see you're from Houston. Have you and your son considered Rice? Great school and probably lots of nearby co-op possibilities. You may even save some expenses on dorm fees if he were to live at home while attending school. Just throwing out ideas. An extra $16,500 per year for a California school just seems a bit much to me.

 

[Texas Proud]

Since you are from Texas... you must NOT be native... UT vs A&M

Each school has a major following... and the people who like one usually don't like the other... both are good in what they do.. but from what I hear, A&M is a bit more hands on thier students...

Now, I have a nephew and niece at UT and both love it..

As for the extra money... think $66K more!!! And maybe even more than that if he does not graduate in 4 years... it is not worth it to go out of state when you compare it with any public Texas school...

 

[Sam]

Austin is full of tech companies that hire co-ops from UT.

Good point, thanks.

Sam, I see you're from Houston. Have you and your son considered Rice? Great school and probably lots of nearby co-op possibilities. You may even save some expenses on dorm fees if he were to live at home while attending school. Just throwing out ideas. An extra $16,500 per year for a California school just seems a bit much to me.

I encourage both my kids to apply to Rice. I know they have a good chance of getting accepted there. But they did not. In fact, they refused to apply to any schools in Houston. Reason? They want to get far away from the restrictive parents Not that I blame them. I would get away myself.

Since you are from Texas... you must NOT be native... UT vs A&M

Definitely not native. I was born on the other side of the world.

 

[bright eyed]

if they are similar academically, i wouldn't be able to justify the cost difference.

i went to ucla, it was fun but definitely a huge public university - easy to get lost...not worth the price difference to me. i would consider it for my kid if it was between a smaller private school (more one on one attention i didn't get at ucla) and a large public school

also - the demographics will be very different at ucla vs. texas...

 

[HFWR]

Q: Why do Aggie women wear long dresses?

A: To hide the No-Pest Strip...

 

[mb]

For under-grad I would say stay home and save the money. They are all good schools.

For grad school I would recommend Berkeley unless there was a specific professor/research area at one of the other schools.

MB, Ph.D., UC Berkeley

 

[SC]

For under-grad I would say stay home and save the money. They are all good schools.

That's a good point. For the money, he'd be better off getting the BSEE from a local school and then spending 1-2 years getting an MSEE from a more prestigious university (or more for a PhD). Prospective employers will pay more attention to the university associated with the graduate degree.

As a grad school student he may have an easier time getting financial aid in the form of a teaching assistant or research assistant position. I believe it's also common for state schools to reduce the tuition for out-of-state students to the in-state price for those who have a TA or RA position.

If he is likely to stop with a BSEE, I'd say he should go to the school with the best co-op program. His co-op experience will play a huge role in what job offer(s) he gets after graduation.

 

[LOL!]

I encourage both my kids to apply to Rice. I know they have a good chance of getting accepted there. But they did not. In fact, they refused to apply to any schools in Houston. Reason? They want to get far away from the restrictive parents Not that I blame them. I would get away myself.

You should have told them that if they applied and got in that you would move far way to get away from them.

 

[Sam]

Why didn't I think of that? Where were you 6 months ago?

 

[Brat]

Co-op experiance is critical whether or not he intends post-graduate work.

 

[Telly]

....My son has been accepted to several universities, both private and public. Going through the list, he and I have no problems comparing one school from another based on cost, academic level, and enviroment.....

So this is for Fall 2007 entry, right? Did you and him sign up and take a tour of each campus last summer? Many schools have a program where you can schedule a tour along with other kids and parents, well in advance of decision-making time. Detailed tours, see different buildings, meet one-on-one or in a very small group with a prof in the area of interest. See dorms on campus, from the good to the bad. Hear about campus life and lifestyle from adults, and from student guides that are in their senior year. And spend extra time on your own, wandering around the town or area.

Considering how much an investment the big U is, hopping on a plane if need be, and hotels for a few days is cheap in comparison to a big screw-up.

I have seen some parents and kids act like the choice of which school to attend was like spinning the spinner on one of those board games from the 50's/60's. They never went to the campus, parents said "we're sure our son/daughter will do very well wherever they go". Uh-huh, yeah, it's only money... and time.

I went on a early tour years ago with my oldest to A&M. Academic areas of interest were EE and CS. For the CS-specific talk, we were in a small conference room with a few moms and dads and their respective students-to-be. And me & my son. The CS Prof was some crusty guy. I thought he was great! He was a no-BS kind of guy. Warned parents about not pushing too hard. Don't make them take a full load the first semester. The new student has a lot of adjusting to do, there are challenges beyond academics to be handled. He went on and on. Told it like it is. He described my college experience of many years ago very well! You should have seen the look on a lot of those faces, they were scared, looked like "Arrrghhh". However, my son was unfazed. He had heard about the big U from his mom and dad for years. What it took to survive there. Even though our big U of old was a different school.

Our oldest has been out on his own for years now, doing very well. He never had any doubts that that was the school for him. A year after he graduated, a young lady there got her BS degree, then went on to get her Mrs degree too!

I've met people who have kids that split across UT and A&M, "mixed families", so to speak

Just an FYI, you probably have seen it, the expected COA for 2007-2008 for A&M is $18,500. Those are not inflated numbers! Figure on a pretty hefty inflation boost each year for the two Texas flagship schools. And yes, they do turn away a lot of people. Ours sailed in using the top 10% rule. Actually they were in the top 2%.

For a far-away out of state school, don't forget travel costs and hassle factor. May have the kid fly to/from for the holidays, but you'll be driving there and back with a truck, and maybe a trailer too!

 

[bright eyed]

also cost of living near ucla is quite high...that is on top of $25k tuition?

 

[Gillette]

If this is for Fall 2007 (which I assume it is) it's highly unlikely your child will be able to get student housing. Consider, the rent differences for off-campus housing between College Station and Austin (especially close to the college) is signficant. Also, parking costs, traffic hassles.

Academically they're pretty much equal. The choice between the two really depends on what's a right fit. Austin is a city where the nation's largest university happens to be. College Station is more of a college town. I went to A&M and loved it. I had friends at UT that loved it.

My experience after graduating A&M has been just as good as while I was a student. A&M has a great network, there is an A&M club here in Moscow, there was one in Scotland, Houston has the largest club. Aggies seem to feel the need to help other Aggies - jobs, networking, relocation, etc. I don't really see the same "bond" with UT alumni I know.

I had student loans and it is a significant burden when you graduate. For that reason, I would mark UCLA off the list.

USNews does a university ranking every year. You probably have to have a membership to get the article online - or you could try to find the back issue at the library.

 

[kramer]

I'm a software engineer with an MSEE in Silicon Valley. I am familiar with UT and UCLA but not A&M (even though one of my former managers went there). From an interviewing perspective, I wouldn't favor one over the other -- they are pretty equivalent in my eyes. Although I would research the programs, of course, before going.

From the dad perspective (UT vs. UCLA), it would be a no brainer for me -- UT. UT is in a great setting, too. I did work on the campus there for my job for a couple of weeks and have thought of moving to Austin ever since

If I were a student and they cost the same, I would definitely favor UT. UCLA is just an urban jungle and it costs a fortune, to boot! And he probably does not want to get a job in high cost of living California after graduation, at least if he wants to raise a family. Housing is three times the price of Texas and your net pay is reduced by 10% due to income taxes.

The people you go to school with form a long term network. If your son is going to live in Texas or the Midwest, the UT network will be more useful there.

Where you go to graduate school does matter more. Although even that does not matter much after a few years.

Kramer