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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We spoke with practicing engineers before DS picked a school, and some schools had better placement and prestige within industry.  Higher ranking schools, especially schools with high engineering rankings, had a better reputation amongst engineers.

From DS’s experience, his friends at better schools are receiving better internship opportunities - greater number of offers, better companies, and higher pay.

DS is at a higher rated school and has done two internships with leading chemical manufacturers. His friends at lower ranked schools have not done any. The number and quality of companies that are participating in the fall career fairs are notable. Also, the recruitment is frequently by alumni.

I’m not saying you cannot get a job from lower ranking schools. The difference is that the options are generally greater from schools with better reputations. [/quote]

This aligns with what several engineers told us while researching colleges for my son. The key nuance here is that while ABET accreditation is essential (with very few exceptions), it doesn't make all schools equal. Better-ranked schools will make launching an engineering career easier, especially when pursuing certain types of positions.

For example: Will an aerospace engineering graduate from New Mexico State initially have the same breadth of opportunities as a similar graduate from Georgia Tech? Probably not. However, they can likely reach the same career level after gaining experience through a few positions. In simpler terms, a higher-ranked school increases your chances of landing jobs working on cooler projects.

That said, I wouldn't get too caught up in school rankings as much as overall fit. I'd prioritize schools with a broad range of majors if your child hasn't settled on a focus, and schools they'd still want to attend if they switched out of engineering. Generally speaking, larger schools offer the widest variety of majors, classes, and clubs. [/quote]

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