Anonymous
Post 02/27/2026 09:29     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Whichever your kid likes best and get accepted. Undergraduate curriculum for engineering is standardized, if accredited. Honestly, all the programs are basically the same. The difference is the amount of homework. Homework amount is inversely proportional to acceptance rate. I have a PhD in EE and am advising my kid who wants to go into engineering to pick a school that is a good fit in terms of personality, not necessarily rankings.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 21:58     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:If you end up living in Indiana, you’ll get a lot more house for the money than you do around here.


But then you live in Indiana. There's a reason cost of living is so low.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 21:21     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:All three schools were on DD's 2025 college list like many DMV engineering applicants. We visited each of them. None of them were in-state for us. DD ended up accepted at all three but chose a different school (GT).

First, there is a BIG difference between Pitt and the other two schools IMO. Pitt doesn't have the engineering resources/focus the other two schools have. That fact is shown in the rankings. If you are PA in-state, you'd be better served at Penn State. What Pitt does have going for it is its city location. Blacksburg is in the sticks and while Lafayette is a city, most of that city will be of no interest to college kids (limited arts/culture/etc).

Purdue and VT are more similar with both having strong engineering programs and D1 athletics. I don't believe educational/research/career opportunities will be different at either program. Purdue has great career fairs but VT has benefit of closeness to DMV if interested in staying in area long term. Balances out in my eyes.

We liked the VT campus more than Purdue. Consider how independent your kid is because Purdue is a lot further from DMV.


Agree with all of this. My engineering daughter got into all 3, we visited all 3, and she ended up at VT. Graduates this May & has had amazing opportunities. She also loves proximity to camping spots and the mountains. Purdue was very impressive, but it was farther for us (plane v. drive) and colder which she didn't love. Undergrad population is 10K bigger at Purdue. They seem to have more of a co-op culture, but my daughter and her engineering friends all had great summer internships and job offers. Civil is very strong at VT. Their steel bridge design team got 3rd and concrete canoe design team got 2nd last year at Nationals! Lots of connections to VA/MD/NC area companies if your kid is interested in staying on the East coast for internships/jobs.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 09:33     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Purdue. Best school and comparable cost. Purdue has national recognition. VT and Pitt are regional.
----------
My son who graduated from Virginia Tech engineering (computer science) was recruited for a job in Northern California. Its true that a lot of Virginia Tech engineers land in the mid Atlantic area, but I would argue Virginia Tech Engineering is known nationwide; it is a top 20 engineering school. Purdue is of course an engineering powerhouse. But if there is a gap between Purdue and Virginia Tech, I don't think it is large enough to matter much.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 08:53     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
All three schools were on DD's 2025 college list like many DMV engineering applicants. We visited each of them. None of them were in-state for us. DD ended up accepted at all three but chose a different school (GT).

First, there is a BIG difference between Pitt and the other two schools IMO. Pitt doesn't have the engineering resources/focus the other two schools have. That fact is shown in the rankings. If you are PA in-state, you'd be better served at Penn State. What Pitt does have going for it is its city location. Blacksburg is in the sticks and while Lafayette is a city, most of that city will be of no interest to college kids (limited arts/culture/etc).

Purdue and VT are more similar with both having strong engineering programs and D1 athletics. I don't believe educational/research/career opportunities will be different at either program. Purdue has great career fairs but VT has benefit of closeness to DMV if interested in staying in area long term. Balances out in my eyes.

We liked the VT campus more than Purdue. Consider how independent your kid is because Purdue is a lot further from DMV.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 06:29     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
If you end up living in Indiana, you’ll get a lot more house for the money than you do around here.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 01:23     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:FWIW... Kid is doing engineering ( not civil though). Admitted to many strong schools ( VA tech, uva, UMD, Purdue, UIUc, and a few others), after Purdue tour they immediately felt in love with the atmosphere, though already wanted Purdue prior visit due to peer caliber, programs, potential employment, and available research opportunities and labs.


Interesting. Purdue's campus turned my kid off. Just blah, IMHO.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 21:15     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
FWIW... Kid is doing engineering ( not civil though). Admitted to many strong schools ( VA tech, uva, UMD, Purdue, UIUc, and a few others), after Purdue tour they immediately felt in love with the atmosphere, though already wanted Purdue prior visit due to peer caliber, programs, potential employment, and available research opportunities and labs.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 21:03     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:University CS Rank (Undergrad) Engineering Rank (Undergrad) Top Specialty
Purdue University #16 #8 #4 Cybersecurity
Univ. of Maryland #16 #17 #9 Cybersecurity
Virginia Tech #25 #13 #25 Artificial Intelligence
Univ. of Virginia #34 (est.) #37 (tie) Strong Systems Research
Univ. of Pittsburgh #63 #61 Health Informatics
George Mason #76 #80 Cybersecurity / Gov Tech


Great educations at all of them, like everyone is saying.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:42     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Purdue. Best school and comparable cost. Purdue has national recognition. VT and Pitt are regional.


VT and Pitt are not regional. They are both listed as National Colleges, not on the Regional Colleges list.


They are National Colleges, but they do not have national recognition. People on California do not recruit VT and Pitt grads. All major companies recruit at Purdue.


Sounds like you only know about recruiting at one of these three schools, because you are wrong about two of them.


+100
I laughed.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:39     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:University CS Rank (Undergrad) Engineering Rank (Undergrad) Top Specialty
Purdue University #16 #8 #4 Cybersecurity
Univ. of Maryland #16 #17 #9 Cybersecurity
Virginia Tech #25 #13 #25 Artificial Intelligence
Univ. of Virginia #34 (est.) #37 (tie) Strong Systems Research
Univ. of Pittsburgh #63 #61 Health Informatics
George Mason #76 #80 Cybersecurity / Gov Tech


What does any of this have to do with civil engineering, which is what the OP was asking about?

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-civil?myCollege=engineering-doctorate&_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:33     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:Purdue. Best school and comparable cost. Purdue has national recognition. VT and Pitt are regional.


What? VT is a nationally known university and has students from all over the country, as well as internationally.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:30     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Purdue. Best school and comparable cost. Purdue has national recognition. VT and Pitt are regional.


VT and Pitt are not regional. They are both listed as National Colleges, not on the Regional Colleges list.


They are National Colleges, but they do not have national recognition. People on California do not recruit VT and Pitt grads. All major companies recruit at Purdue.


Sounds like you only know about recruiting at one of these three schools, because you are wrong about two of them.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:25     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
University CS Rank (Undergrad) Engineering Rank (Undergrad) Top Specialty
Purdue University #16 #8 #4 Cybersecurity
Univ. of Maryland #16 #17 #9 Cybersecurity
Virginia Tech #25 #13 #25 Artificial Intelligence
Univ. of Virginia #34 (est.) #37 (tie) Strong Systems Research
Univ. of Pittsburgh #63 #61 Health Informatics
George Mason #76 #80 Cybersecurity / Gov Tech
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:23     Subject: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue vs. Pitt for Engineering
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Purdue. Best school and comparable cost. Purdue has national recognition. VT and Pitt are regional.


VT and Pitt are not regional. They are both listed as National Colleges, not on the Regional Colleges list.


They are National Colleges, but they do not have national recognition. People on California do not recruit VT and Pitt grads. All major companies recruit at Purdue.