UMD is undoubtedly a better STEM school. The CS program at UMDCP is its crown jewel. So much alumni involvement and growth. It is also very diverse/international and if you care - a strong Asian cohort. meaning - it is going to be competitive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well University of Illinois is ranked higher than Harvard, UMD, Princeton, and GT among others. Going to a school based solely on the ranking of the major seems shortsighted. I would go with overall interest in the school.

ha ha. Yea, pick UVA over UMD GATech UIUC for CS. LOL. Please do it. Make room for other kids at those CS focused schools.

There is zero CS ranking where UI is ranked higher than Harvard or GATech. What are you smokin?

USNWR undergraduate CS ranking:
5. UIUC, Princeton, GATech
12. Harvard
16. UMD
29. UVA

So basically they are all the same. Seriously. This attempt to make choices linear is stupid.

Yep (I posted the rankings).

There are various rankings. Not all show the same ranking.

DC is majoring in CS so I took a look at the different rankings. In some of them, UVA doesn't even make the list, but UMD does, as does Vtech. So, really, the choice should be between Vtech and UMD, not UVA.

https://www.computersciencedegreehub.com/best/bachelors-computer-science/

https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-science/rankings/top-ranked/bachelors-degrees/

I have more:

https://drafty.cs.brown.edu/csopenrankings/
https://csrankings.org/

UMD or UVA CS? Come on...they are both going to offer excellent education. If one offers concentrations that interest you, go for it. If you like rankings that are somewhat subjective, go for it. Prefer a faculty with fewer lecturers? Go for it. Like the idea of having 300 people in your first year class? Go for it. Fancy the Assistant Professor from Princeton? Yeah, go for it!

UVA is going to admit students with overall better stats. And does anyone think that the typical UMD computer science graduate is going to come out more polished and a better speaker and writer than the typical UVA computer science graduate? Get real. Prefer a more urban location? Go for it. Take a look at the faculty...look at the institutions granting the terminal degrees. Can you tell a difference?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well University of Illinois is ranked higher than Harvard, UMD, Princeton, and GT among others. Going to a school based solely on the ranking of the major seems shortsighted. I would go with overall interest in the school.

You just can't stand it that UMD > UVA for CS, can you?

One of the big problems I had with studying CS at UVA was I had to take all these useless engineering classes. At UMDCP you can focus more on CS. It's also a bigger program which has far more offerings. Anyway, sadly UMDCP is a much stronger program for CS.

I find most CS programs make you take useless engineering classes. What classes did you have to take at UVA that UMDCP doesn't make you take?

Anonymous wrote:

CL20171 wrote:- UVA CS is $46k/yr
- UMD CS is $43k/yr with Merit.

The cost is not much difference.
Which one is better choice?
Thank you for any input?

We're kind of in the same boat so really appreciate all the inputs above.
How about throwing Pudue and VT into the comparison?
UVA CS, 46K(in-state), School rank 25, CS rank 29.
Purdue CS, 41K(OOS), School rank 51, CS rank 16.
UMD CS 49K(w/ merit), School rank 55, CS rank 16.
VT CS , 32K(in-state), School rank 62, CS rank 29.
Visited all except Purdue. DS has no real preference between the 3 visited.
Double major intended.
Tuition are in doable range range for us.
Thoughts?

Assuming money is not an issue:
- If the second major is in something related to Engineering, go with Purdue or Virginia Tech.
- If the second is in anything other than Engineering/Tech, go with UVA

If money is a concern go with the cheapest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well University of Illinois is ranked higher than Harvard, UMD, Princeton, and GT among others. Going to a school based solely on the ranking of the major seems shortsighted. I would go with overall interest in the school.

ha ha. Yea, pick UVA over UMD GATech UIUC for CS. LOL. Please do it. Make room for other kids at those CS focused schools.

There is zero CS ranking where UI is ranked higher than Harvard or GATech. What are you smokin?

USNWR undergraduate CS ranking:
5. UIUC, Princeton, GATech
12. Harvard
16. UMD
29. UVA

So basically they are all the same. Seriously. This attempt to make choices linear is stupid.

Yep (I posted the rankings).

There are various rankings. Not all show the same ranking.

DC is majoring in CS so I took a look at the different rankings. In some of them, UVA doesn't even make the list, but UMD does, as does Vtech. So, really, the choice should be between Vtech and UMD, not UVA.

https://www.computersciencedegreehub.com/best/bachelors-computer-science/

https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/computer-information-sciences/computer-science/rankings/top-ranked/bachelors-degrees/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides CS, UMD is a far superior engineering school. So even if in CS they have options in other related areas such as robotics/industrial engg etc..

+1 UVA boosters are fooling themselves.

Do CS grads from UMD make more money than CS grads from UVA? The answer is no it is pointless to have this discussion.

Overall, yes, actually, they do.

Do CS UVA grads make more than CS VA tech grads? If the answer is no then why pay $$ for UVA when VTech is so much cheaper?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well University of Illinois is ranked higher than Harvard, UMD, Princeton, and GT among others. Going to a school based solely on the ranking of the major seems shortsighted. I would go with overall interest in the school.

ha ha. Yea, pick UVA over UMD GATech UIUC for CS. LOL. Please do it. Make room for other kids at those CS focused schools.

There is zero CS ranking where UI is ranked higher than Harvard or GATech. What are you smokin?

USNWR undergraduate CS ranking:
5. UIUC, Princeton, GATech
12. Harvard
16. UMD
29. UVA

So basically they are all the same. Seriously. This attempt to make choices linear is stupid.

Yep (I posted the rankings).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides CS, UMD is a far superior engineering school. So even if in CS they have options in other related areas such as robotics/industrial engg etc..

+1 UVA boosters are fooling themselves.

Do CS grads from UMD make more money than CS grads from UVA? The answer is no it is pointless to have this discussion.

Anonymous wrote:Besides CS, UMD is a far superior engineering school. So even if in CS they have options in other related areas such as robotics/industrial engg etc..

+1 UVA boosters are fooling themselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

CL20171 wrote:- UVA CS is $46k/yr
- UMD CS is $43k/yr with Merit.

The cost is not much difference.
Which one is better choice?
Thank you for any input?

We're kind of in the same boat so really appreciate all the inputs above.
How about throwing Pudue and VT into the comparison?
UVA CS, 46K(in-state), School rank 25, CS rank 29.
Purdue CS, 41K(OOS), School rank 51, CS rank 16.
UMD CS 49K(w/ merit), School rank 55, CS rank 16.
VT CS , 32K(in-state), School rank 62, CS rank 29.
Visited all except Purdue. DS has no real preference between the 3 visited.
Double major intended.
Tuition are in doable range range for us.
Thoughts?

In cs no one really cares where you go to school. It’s just competitive parents. The degree is what matters. All good choices. Congratulations

Right, a CS degree at MIT or CMU is the same as from Purdue or UVA. LOL

You realize that they all end up at the same companies so yes, it is just people competitive like you.

LOL You do not work in the CS field.

The vast majority of CS grads don't work for FAANG, that is true. But people in the CS industry know which CS programs are the best, and they will recruit from there.

That doesn't mean UVA CS grads can't find jobs. Of course not. But, if you want a good CS program, you go to UMD, not UVA.

UVA boosters just can't stand that UMD CS is better than UVA. It's almost pathetic to watch you all and your "both are good schools". You would never say that about other majors. UVA CS is no better than VTech. If they all end up in the same companies, then save yourself $$ and go to VTech.

I greatly enjoy my FANG spouse's pay check so I think I do know he has no issue getting a job and he went to a no name school no one has heard of. After a few years of experience, skill, degree and how you interview are equally important. Funny enough, he's never had an issue getting or keeping a job even when others couldn't. Clearly he's doing something right from his bad CS school. His crummy degree will pay for our kids to get their CS degree to paying cash for it... not to shabby.

That's interesting.. because I (PP) also went to no name, didn't even major in CS but worked for FAANG.

But, it took a lot longer to get there, and I'm thinking it did for your DH (hence the experience needed). We are outliers. The vast majority in FAANG are not from no name state university. I used to live in the Bay Area, too.

Don't know how old your DH is, but back when I worked for FAANG they had a list of acceptable colleges by degree.

Also, one of the FAANG founders went to UMD. None went to UVA. Just so you know.

If you really think it doesn't matter where you go to college for CS, then go to a C rated school and see how you do.

Again, a UVA grad in CS will be able to find a job, just a GMU grad can. So, then why not go to GMU over UVA if the outcome is the same?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

CL20171 wrote:- UVA CS is $46k/yr
- UMD CS is $43k/yr with Merit.

The cost is not much difference.
Which one is better choice?
Thank you for any input?

We're kind of in the same boat so really appreciate all the inputs above.
How about throwing Pudue and VT into the comparison?
UVA CS, 46K(in-state), School rank 25, CS rank 29.
Purdue CS, 41K(OOS), School rank 51, CS rank 16.
UMD CS 49K(w/ merit), School rank 55, CS rank 16.
VT CS , 32K(in-state), School rank 62, CS rank 29.
Visited all except Purdue. DS has no real preference between the 3 visited.
Double major intended.
Tuition are in doable range range for us.
Thoughts?

In cs no one really cares where you go to school. It’s just competitive parents. The degree is what matters. All good choices. Congratulations

This is not really true but some people may like telling themselves this. Statistics show that this does impact lifetime earnings.

Major can matter more than college for earnings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well University of Illinois is ranked higher than Harvard, UMD, Princeton, and GT among others. Going to a school based solely on the ranking of the major seems shortsighted. I would go with overall interest in the school.

ha ha. Yea, pick UVA over UMD GATech UIUC for CS. LOL. Please do it. Make room for other kids at those CS focused schools.

There is zero CS ranking where UI is ranked higher than Harvard or GATech. What are you smokin?

USNWR undergraduate CS ranking:
5. UIUC, Princeton, GATech
12. Harvard
16. UMD
29. UVA

So basically they are all the same. Seriously. This attempt to make choices linear is stupid.

Besides CS, UMD is a far superior engineering school. So even if in CS they have options in other related areas such as robotics/industrial engg etc..

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

CL20171 wrote:- UVA CS is $46k/yr
- UMD CS is $43k/yr with Merit.

The cost is not much difference.
Which one is better choice?
Thank you for any input?

We're kind of in the same boat so really appreciate all the inputs above.
How about throwing Pudue and VT into the comparison?
UVA CS, 46K(in-state), School rank 25, CS rank 29.
Purdue CS, 41K(OOS), School rank 51, CS rank 16.
UMD CS 49K(w/ merit), School rank 55, CS rank 16.
VT CS , 32K(in-state), School rank 62, CS rank 29.
Visited all except Purdue. DS has no real preference between the 3 visited.
Double major intended.
Tuition are in doable range range for us.
Thoughts?

In cs no one really cares where you go to school. It’s just competitive parents. The degree is what matters. All good choices. Congratulations

Right, a CS degree at MIT or CMU is the same as from Purdue or UVA. LOL

You realize that they all end up at the same companies so yes, it is just people competitive like you.

LOL You do not work in the CS field.

The vast majority of CS grads don't work for FAANG, that is true. But people in the CS industry know which CS programs are the best, and they will recruit from there.

That doesn't mean UVA CS grads can't find jobs. Of course not. But, if you want a good CS program, you go to UMD, not UVA.

UVA boosters just can't stand that UMD CS is better than UVA. It's almost pathetic to watch you all and your "both are good schools". You would never say that about other majors. UVA CS is no better than VTech. If they all end up in the same companies, then save yourself $$ and go to VTech.

UMD is better for our child and that is the point? Why, because we are in-state and we have a pre-paid college fund so it's fully covered with extra for graduate school.

You are fooling yourself to think it's just about school branding. Maybe in the olden days but not now.

If all things being equal, I'd go with the one our child thinks would be the best fit.